In the midst of the flurry of AI announcements and product, from Google in recent months, you may have missed one of the most usable AI-driven apps in the entire collection: NotebookLM (that LM stands for language model).
Perhaps Notebooklm has largely gone under the radar because it was originally launched as more of an academic research tool when it first appeared in 2023. The user interface lacks part of the slippery and accessibility of Google Gemini, and it is not so clear how you should use it, or what it can do.
NotebookLM, however, is gradually becoming better known to consumers, with official apps for Android And iOS Now available, next to The Web app. Most functions can be used for free, but you get higher usage limits if you have registered with one of the AI ​​subscription plans from Google (from $ 20 per month).
If you have to summarize, summarize and study information about several different sources – Poets, PDFs, YouTube videos – can help the NotebookLM. Here is how you can get started (specifically how you can get started on Android, although you also find the same functions on iPhones and the internet).
Make your first notebook
Notebooklm is based on notebooks (the app name is a bit of a giveaway action) and notebooks consist of sources. These sources can mix of normal text, PDF documents, MP3 files, YouTube links, files in Google Documents and sites are on the internet: NotebookLM will then collect and search all your sources before they answer summaries and answer questions.
Tap to get started with a new notebook on Android Make new Focus the app on the opening screen on files on your phone or websites on the internet. You will see that not all supported sources on mobile can be added, so you are limited to PDF” Website” YouTubeAnd Copied text.
While your sources are imported and analyzed, you will be taken to the Notebook screen. The first tab is SourcesWhere you can delete existing sources or add new ones, the following chats will then adjust if necessary, based on the current selection of sources. Your notebook will be given a name based on the sources you initially imported, but you can change this by tapping the three dots (top right), then Return notebook.
The To chatter Tab is where you can really see the potential of Notebooklm. From here you can ask any question about the sources you have imported. Maybe you want to request some details, or maybe you want to get a wider overview: type your prompt in the text box and then tap the blue arrow.
You notice that Notebooklm offers quotes for all its answers. There are small numbers within each answer and if you tap these numbers, you can see which sources the app used. Since the app uses data that you have provided, hallucinations must be less worried – although the text at the bottom of the text To chatter Window says, “Notebooklm can be inaccurate”.
At the bottom of each response you can give it a review or tap the rectangle icon to copy the response to your telephone clamp. Note that your chat history is not stored when you close the app and return to it, so if there is something you have to remember, make sure you have saved it first.
Do more with your notebooks
One of the most impressive functions in NotebookLM is the way in which you can produce AI-hosted podcasts for every notebook. It is essentially a summary of all the sources you have provided, placed in a conversation style that is then read by two AI characters who act as podcast -hosts -and the results can be incredibly realistic.
These podcasts are called audio overviews in NotebookLM, and in the mobile apps you can generate them through on the Audio overview button in the To chatter window. You can also do the same work by switching to the Studio Tab and choose Generate—Dide buttons launch the same audio process.
The production process of the podcast can take a while to complete, depending on how many sources it needs to get through, but you do not have to wait until it is ready – you can continue asking Notebooklm while you wait, or even transfer to another app and do something else (your audio waits for you when you return).
When the AI ​​podcast is ready, tap Play To hear it on the Studio Tab. Your ai -hosts start talking, complete with natural breaks and vulwords, and they will take you through your sources step by step. You will receive the standard playback controls at the bottom of the screen and a small download button (right right) if you want to save the audio.
You can even participate in the podcast: if you tap Interactive instead of Play on the Studio Tab, you get one Participate Button on the screen while the audio plays. If you have a question or a point to make, tap this button and then speak in the microphone of your phone: your AI friends will respond to your question, as Notebooklm would do via text on the To chatter Tab. It is as if you are calling in a radio program.
There are more options available on the web version of NotebookLM, which still have to be transferred to the mobile apps. With a single click you can create study guides from your sources, a timeline, a frequent obstacle document and a briefing document. Google also has more about the road, including Video -overviews.
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