Google’s scarily good AI podcast tool just got better with built-in YouTube upload and easy sharing
Google’s NotebookLM AI tool now works with YouTube video URLs and audio files as sources, so you can create engaging audio podcast discussions with just one click. You can also easily share your creations with a public URL for your podcast.
Just a few weeks ago, Google introduced NotebookLM and TechRadar’s AI Senior Editor has been experimenting with the tool to quickly turn documents into incredibly realistic conversations between two voices. Graham wrote, “I’ve had a glimpse of how AI will change the world, and it fills me with fear and wonder in equal measure.”
Now Google has expanded the AI tool with new source types, including the ability to upload both YouTube videos and audio files. With these new formats, users can take full advantage of NotebookLM to analyze video essays and lectures, make group projects much easier by allowing you to summarize the audio of a group conversation, and quickly turn class recordings into study guides.
In the original version, NotebookLM simply dumped the completed WAV file of the conversation onto your desktop, and you then had to figure out how to share it with people. That wasn’t that difficult, but it did require a few extra steps and other services. Now NotebookLM gives you a publicly shareable URL for every file you create, which makes life so much easier.
Endless possibilities
NotebookLM is one of the most impressive AI tools we’ve used to date, and everyone who’s tried it in the office has had a similar response: it doesn’t sound like AI, and it’s almost too real. Previously you could only upload documents such as PDFs or text files, but now the ability to drag and drop any YouTube video on the web adds a whole new dimension to NotebookLM.
There are so many possibilities with an AI tool that can quickly scan information and create an easy-to-follow discussion. Not only can you now quickly create AI-generated conversations that can pass for professional podcasts, but it also opens the door to a much improved educational experience. In fact, Google says it’s already being used by Boise State University students and faculty to support learning.
We’re only at the beginning of NotebookLM’s development and the future of this AI audio tool already looks incredibly bright. It’s not just Google working magic with AI audio, though. Yesterday at Meta Connect 2024, Meta unveiled new audio translation tools that will automatically copy and lip-sync Instagram and Facebook reels. With all these impressive AI audio tools emerging, it will be an exciting few years as we see the true potential of this technology.
