I bookmarked NotebookLM the day it was released, telling myself I’d come back to it later. I even had a couple of YouTube tutorials sitting in open tabs, waiting for the right moment. Spoiler: that moment never came.
Fast forward to recently, a friend sent me an article about using NotebookLM to plan trips. That got my attention. I figured it was finally time to at least find out what this thing is all about and maybe see if it could actually help me with work and everyday stuff.
Instead of going down a rabbit hole of tutorials, I asked its bro/sis, Gemini, to give me the short version. The answer was brief but quite useful, exactly what I needed to get started:
What is NotebookLM?
Think of NotebookLM as your personal AI assistant that is an expert in the documents and information you provide.
Unlike other AIs that search the entire internet, NotebookLM only uses the sources you upload (like PDFs, Google Docs, text files, and website links). This makes its answers highly relevant and grounded in your own material.
What It Can Do
- Summarize: Instantly get the key points from long documents, videos (with transcripts), or meeting notes.
- Answer Questions: Ask specific questions about your uploaded files, and it will find the answers and show you exactly where it found them (citations).
- Generate Ideas: It can help you brainstorm, create outlines, or draft new content (like an email or a blog post) based on your sources.
- Organize Information: Ask it to turn a messy document into a structured format like a FAQ, a timeline, or a briefing document.
How It Can Help You
For Your Business
- Analyze Meetings: Upload a meeting transcript and ask: “What were the main decisions made?” or “List all the action items for my team.”
- Research Faster: Upload industry reports and articles. Ask: “What are the top three trends in this market?” or “Compare the main points of these two articles.”
- Create Content: Upload your research and notes. Ask: “Draft a blog post outline based on these sources” or “Write a social media post summarizing this report.”
- Sales & Client Prep: Upload client emails and project briefs. Ask: “Summarize the client’s main concerns” to prepare for a call.
For Day-to-Day Stuff
- Learning: Upload articles or a textbook on a new topic. Ask it to explain a complex concept simply or create a study guide.
- Hobbies: Upload recipes or DIY guides. Ask: “Create a shopping list from this recipe” or “Summarize the steps to build this bookshelf.”
- Trip Planning: Upload travel articles and booking confirmations. Ask: “Create a 3-day itinerary” or “What is the address of my hotel?”
- Book Clubs: Upload an ebook. Ask: “What are the main themes in Chapter 5?” or “Trace this character’s development.”
In short, NotebookLM helps you make sense of and use the information you already have, making you quicker and more effective at your work and personal projects.