Google's NotebookLM can now transform YouTube videos into study guides – here's how

Google’s NotebookLM, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered notebook, is expanding its source base.

Today, you can now add public YouTube URLs and audio files directly into your notebook. These additions let users summarize lectures, compare the contents of audio files, and transform video and .mp3/.wav audio into study guides.

As Google said in the release, NotebookLM is “part note taker, part collaborator, part data collector, and part librarian,” letting users craft a digital notebook composing all the research, documents, and other source material they collect. 

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Last week, NotebookLM launched an Audio Overview feature that allows users to discuss their notebook content conversationally with AI. This lets users access all the information they need to tackle a paper, develop a presentation, or better grasp complex topics. 

Google also announced that, as of today, users can now share the audio notes created from the Audio Overview feature via public link. When you’re finished with a note, just tap Share, and NotebookLM generates a URL that you can share with others. This new sharing option allows users to build dialogue with a bigger network.

However, Google NotebookLM is still in the experimental phases. Google has previously warned that the Audio Overview feature has its limitations, such as taking several minutes to generate an Audio Overview for larger notebooks and containing inaccuracies. Also, users can’t interrupt the hosts mid-dialogue. 

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Another limitation is that conversations are only supported in English, excluding large groups of people from accessing the tool entirely.  

How to share an Audio Overview 

Follow these steps to tap into NotebookLM’s new features: 

Visit the NotebookLM website or Google Labs and click Try NotebookLM. You’ll need a Google account to sign in and create a new notebook or access an existing one. 

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Try using a public URL, such as a YouTube link or an audio file, to generate an Audio Overview. Once the Audio Overview is ready, tap Share.