The thought of AI podcasts constructed from no matter paperwork you will have mendacity round nonetheless looks like a trick of some variety, however Google‘s NotebookLM has proven me repeatedly that it may make informative, if not at all times vigorous, audio episodes on no matter topic I like.
The idea is easy: texts and transcripts change into conversations amongst AI characters. They may casually focus on your analysis, breaking it down in a fascinating, digestible means. You’ll be able to even bounce in, ask questions, and information the dialogue in order for you.
However organising NotebookLM to offer the perfect episode is not essentially intuitive. So, should you’re an enormous audio learner or just have many lengthy automobile rides developing, listed here are some tricks to make the perfect faux podcasts potential.
Collect all of your sources first
Earlier than diving into any mission, among the best issues you are able to do is collect all of your supplies in a single place. All of us wish to suppose we’ll bear in mind which tab we left open for later, however we received’t. The great thing about NotebookLM is that it capabilities finest with as a lot context as potential, so importing all the pieces related in a single pocket book helps it discover connections, establish patterns, and ship significant insights.
For my gardening plans, it was like having two skilled gardeners focus on my actual analysis – besides I didn’t should chase them down at a plant nursery. As an alternative of clicking by means of a number of articles, I received a transparent, organized breakdown of what I wanted to know, making it simpler to retain and act on.
Ask follow-ups
NotebookLM’s podcasts aren’t simply passive, both. You’ll be able to flip them into an interactive name present. At any time when the AI podcast brings up one thing fascinating or unclear, you possibly can make the most of the flexibility to ask follow-up questions. This may show you how to refine the data and tailor it to your wants.
For my backyard plans, the fertilizer dialogue confused me a bit, however I jumped in and requested what to make use of for the sorts of veggies I needed to develop. Then, the AI hosts instantly began answering my query earlier than returning to the broader subject.
Tailor-made episodes
NotebookLM’s podcast characteristic isn’t one-size-fits-all. You’ll be able to tailor it primarily based on what’s most essential to you. Since I needed a low-maintenance backyard, I adjusted my NotebookLM session to deal with drought-resistant vegetation and pure pest management.
The AI picked up on this and emphasised methods like mulching and utilizing marigolds to discourage bugs. When you’ve got a distinct objective, like perhaps maximizing vegetable yields or rising flowers for aesthetic enchantment, you can also make entire new episodes that cowl these parts alone.
‘Rent’ the precise voices
I shortly realized that the AI-generated podcast sounds even higher whenever you tweak the voice settings to match your preferences. NotebookLM affords completely different pacing and tones, and adjusting them could make an enormous distinction in how partaking and digestible the content material feels.
For instance, I discovered that setting the voices to a barely slower tempo helped me take in the data higher, particularly when coping with detailed gardening directions. You too can break lengthy episodes into smaller chapters. You’ll be able to hear overview instance from my gardening podcast experiments beneath.