The thought of AI podcasts constructed from no matter paperwork you will have mendacity round nonetheless looks like a trick of some form, however Google‘s NotebookLM has proven me repeatedly that it could make informative, if not all the time energetic, audio episodes on no matter topic I like.
The idea is straightforward: texts and transcripts turn out to be conversations amongst AI characters. They could casually focus on your analysis, breaking it down in an interesting, digestible means. You may even leap in, ask questions, and information the dialogue if you need.
However establishing NotebookLM to offer one of the best episode is not essentially intuitive. So, in case you’re a giant audio learner or just have many lengthy automotive rides developing, listed here are some tricks to make one of the best pretend podcasts doable.
Collect all of your sources first
Earlier than diving into any challenge, probably the greatest issues you are able to do is collect all of your supplies in a single place. All of us wish to suppose we’ll keep in mind which tab we left open for later, however we gained’t. The fantastic thing about NotebookLM is that it features finest with as a lot context as doable, so importing all the pieces related in a single pocket book helps it discover connections, determine 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 need to chase them down at a plant nursery. As an alternative of clicking by a number of articles, I obtained 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 may flip them into an interactive name present. At any time when the AI podcast brings up one thing fascinating or unclear, you may make the most of the power to ask follow-up questions. It will assist you refine the knowledge 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 wished to develop. Then, the AI hosts instantly began answering my query earlier than returning to the broader matter.
Tailor-made episodes
NotebookLM’s podcast function isn’t one-size-fits-all. You may tailor it primarily based on what’s most necessary to you. Since I wished 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 have a distinct aim, like possibly maximizing vegetable yields or rising flowers for aesthetic enchantment, you can also make complete new episodes that cowl these parts alone.
‘Rent’ the proper voices
I shortly realized that the AI-generated podcast sounds even higher whenever you tweak the voice settings to match your preferences. NotebookLM provides totally different pacing and tones, and adjusting them could make an enormous distinction in how participating and digestible the content material feels.
For instance, I discovered that setting the voices to a barely slower tempo helped me take up the knowledge higher, particularly when coping with detailed gardening directions. You may as well break lengthy episodes into smaller chapters. You may hear a great overview instance from my gardening podcast experiments under.