This playbook will show you how to turn your notes and sources into an audio-learning experience using NotebookLM, which can be particularly useful for students and researchers dealing with a lot of information.
Step 1: Access NotebookLM
- Head to NotebookLM in your browser.
- Sign in with your Google account.
- If you’ve used it before, your existing notebooks will appear. If it’s your first time, you’ll be prompted to create a new notebook.
Step 2: Create a New Notebook
- If prompted, click “Create” to start a new notebook.
Step 3: Add Your Sources
- Immediately after creating a notebook, you’ll see the “Add Sources” page.
- Upload your sources: You can upload up to 50 sources, including links, Google Drive files, MP3s, and more.
- Note: The podcast and any responses will be based solely on the sources you provide, and your data won’t be used for AI training.
- Tip for YouTube videos: If you’re using a YouTube video link as a source, be aware that if the video doesn’t have a transcript, the source link might turn red, indicating it can’t be used.
- Click “Insert” once you’ve selected your sources.
- Add more sources by clicking the ‘+’ button on the left side of the interface. The more sources you add, the better your notes, summary, and ultimately, your podcast will be.
Step 4: Familiarise Yourself with the Notebook Guide
- Once your sources are in, the Notebook Guide should pop up, providing a one-paragraph summary of all your sources. If it doesn’t show up right away, you can find it in the bottom right corner of your notebook.
- The Notebook Guide has several sections to help you:
- “Help Me Create” section: Located above the summary paragraph, this AI tool offers options to create an FAQ list, a study guide, a table of contents, and other useful summary breakdowns.
- “View Chat” option: Below the summary, this allows you to view any past conversations you’ve had about your sources.
- Suggested Questions section: To the right, NotebookLM generates questions based on your provided sources.
Step 5: Navigate to the Audio Overview Section
- Once you’re satisfied with the number of sources you’ve added, head over to the “Audio Overview” section. This is the dedicated area where NotebookLM will begin converting your sources into a podcast-style conversation.
Step 6: Generate Your Podcast
- In the Audio Overview section, click “Generate”.
- Warning: Generating a podcast does take a few minutes, so you can switch to another tab while it runs in the background.
Step 7: Listen to Your Personalised Podcast
- Once it’s ready, your personalised podcast will play. It’s designed to sound like a conversation between a male and female host, complete with pauses, ‘ums,’ and even jokes.
- The length of the podcast can’t be adjusted, but most tested examples ranged from 5 to 15 minutes. For instance, a podcast generated from just two sources impressed the creator by stretching over 8 minutes, significantly longer than an original 3-minute video.
Step 8: Manage Your Generated Podcast
- If you’re happy with the audio, you have several options:
- Download the audio.
- Change the speed.
- Share it as a link.
- Embed it on your website.
- Remember to name your notebook to keep things organised, and you can return to it anytime.
Bonus Tips and Considerations for Audio Overviews:
- AI-Generated Content: Both the Audio Overviews and the voices are AI-generated, so there might be inaccuracies or audio glitches.
- Repetitive Phrases: The podcast hosts often say “deep dive” multiple times, which can become distracting or confusing if not relevant to the context of your sources.
- Language and Speakers: As of the video’s creation, Audio Overviews are only available in English. You also cannot control the number or gender of the speakers.