Google’s NotebookLM now supports YouTube videos and audio files

Google’s NotebookLM, its artificial intelligence (AI) note-taking and research assistant platform, received a new update on Thursday. The update expanded the platform’s functionality and now users can add a YouTube video or an audio file as a source and ask the AI ​​questions about it. The platform also improves the shareability of Audio Outlines, a feature that debuted earlier this month. Additionally, users can now create study guides from handwritten notes and lecture slides. These features are being rolled out to all users.

NotebookLM now supports YouTube videos and audio files

NotebookLM was introduced as a platform that uses AI to make note-taking and research easier for students, academics and journalists. The platform allows users to add various sources such as a PDF file, a Word document, a Google Doc or simply copy and paste blocks of text, and the AI ​​will process them and summarize the key points. It can also answer questions based on the added resources.

In a blog post, Google highlighted that its AI platform now also accepts YouTube videos and audio files as sources. Users can choose a public YouTube video (unlisted videos won’t work) URL and add it as a source. Once done, NotebookLM will process the video and generate the key points discussed in it. A transcript of the video is also generated so users can further explore the topics using inline quotes. Users can also watch the video for additional context within the platform.

Audio files are also supported as a source on the platform. NotebookLM can transcribe conversations and locate specific information when requested. This is intended for students who record their lectures to review later or journalists who record interviews to write articles about them. However, this is also useful for business professionals who want to remember the minutes of meetings.

In addition, the platform also supports handwritten notes and lecture slides. These can be added to create special study guides that cover the subject in a systematic way. Finally, Audio Overviews will also be upgraded. Once the audio is generated, users can now share it with others with a single tap. Notably, Google Workspace users cannot use this feature to share audio discussions.