Google just added modern AI viral podcast customization tool in NotebookLM. I received early access and tested it using the Franz Kafka version Metamorphosis as source material, spending several hours generating podcasts about the novel novella – some of them crazier than others.
Released by Google Labs in 2023 as an experimental AI-powered writing tool, NotebookLM has been enjoying renewed user interest since early September when developers added the option generate podcast-like conversations between two AI voices – one male and one female – from uploaded documents. While these audio “deep dives” can be used for learning and productivity, many viral clips online focus on the entertainment of asking robot hosts to discuss quirky or very personal source documents such as LinkedIn profile.
Raiza Martin, who leads the NotebookLM team at Google Labs, is working demanding to give users more control over the content of these synthetic podcasts. “This is the number one feature people have asked for,” he says. “They want to give some feedback on what the deep dive is focused on.” According to Martin, this is the first update of many to come.
The first anniversary of its creation is approaching full launchNotebookLM is also shedding the “experimental” label – a sign that it’s not heading towards forever Google graveyard abandoned software, at least for now. Martin says the label was removed because the team achieved internal milestones for overall quality, user retention and interface standards. It also says that users can now expect a higher level of stability from the software.
How to customize AI podcasts
To create an AI podcast using NotebookLM, open the file Google Labs website and start Up-to-date notebook. Then add any source documents you want to utilize in the audio output. These can be anything from files on your computer to YouTube links.
Then, after clicking on Notebook guideyou will now see the option to generate a deep dive, as well as the option to customize it in advance. To choose Customize and add information on how you would like the AI podcast to appear. The software suggests considering which sections of your sources you want to highlight, the broader topics you want to explore further, or the different target audiences you want to reach with your message.
One tip Martin shares for trying out the modern feature is to generate an audio overview as-is, and while you listen to the first version, write down any burning questions or topics you want to expand on. Then utilize these notes as a starting point to create suggestions for NotebookLM and regenerate the AI podcast with your interests in mind.
My first impressions
I uploaded an 80-page file of Kafka’s renowned work of existential literature – in which the main character wakes up one morning and discovers he has been transformed into a giant worm – to see how the customization would work for NotebookLM users. The first audio overview she generated, without the need for quick customization, was a solid, yet broad overview of what happens in the novella, as well as a discussion of its key themes. Nothing groundbreaking, but decent.
Thinking like the nerdy college English major that I certainly was, my first quick change was that the podcast discussion focused more on the book’s themes of alienation and overbearing bureaucracy. With an added push, this output from NotebookLM did an admirable job of focusing on these themes and sparking a discussion that sounded similar to what I’ve heard before in college classrooms. It’s a bit complicated, but completely listenable.