What is NotebookLM?
NotebookLM is a free AI tool from Google that lets you upload your own documents and then ask questions about them. Unlike other AI chatbots that draw on general knowledge, NotebookLM focuses only on the sources you provide. This makes it ideal for studying, research, or making sense of large amounts of information.
Best Use Cases
Studying and Revision
Upload your notes, textbooks, or lecture slides and let NotebookLM quiz you on the material, create summaries, or explain difficult concepts in simpler terms.
Try this: Upload a PDF of your study notes and ask "Create a set of 10 revision questions based on these notes, with answers."
Understanding Complex Documents
If you have a lengthy report, policy document, or manual, NotebookLM can help you find the key points without reading every page.
Try this: Upload a council planning document and ask "What are the main changes being proposed and how might they affect local residents?"
Generating Audio Summaries
NotebookLM has a unique feature that can turn your documents into a podcast-style audio summary. This is great for learning on the go.
Try this: Upload an article or report and click "Generate Audio Overview" to hear a conversational summary of the content.
Getting Started
- Go to notebooklm.google.com in your web browser.
- Sign in with your Google account.
- Click "New Notebook," upload a document (PDF, Google Doc, or text), and then ask a question about it in the chat box. Try: "What are the three most important points in this document?"
Tips for Beginners
- NotebookLM only uses the documents you upload. It will not make things up from other sources, which makes its answers more reliable for your specific content.
- You can upload multiple documents to the same notebook. NotebookLM will draw connections between them.
- Try the audio overview feature. It creates a surprisingly natural-sounding conversation about your documents that you can listen to like a podcast.
- This tool is completely free to use with a Google account.