Google's NotebookLM now lets you customize its AI podcasts

Google just added a new customization tool for the viral AI podcasts in its NotebookLM software. I got early access and tested it with Franz Kafka's work The metamorphosis For raw material, I spent a few hours creating podcasts about the groundbreaking novella – some of which are more unhinged than others.

Released in 2023 by Google Labs as an experimental, AI-focused writing tool, NotebookLM has enjoyed a renewed surge in user interest since early September, when the developers added an option to generate podcast-like conversations between two AI voices – one of which sounds male and one sounding female – from uploaded documents. While these audio “deep dives” can be used for learning and productivity, many of the viral online clips focused on the entertainment factor by asking robot presenters to discuss bizarre or highly personal source documents such as a LinkedIn profile.

Raiza Martin, who leads the NotebookLM team at Google Labs, is excited about giving users more control over the content of these synthetic podcasts. “It’s the number one feature that people have asked for,” she says. “They want to give a little feedback on what the deep dive is focused on.” According to Martin, this is the first update of many in the pipeline.

Nearing the one-year anniversary of its full release, NotebookLM is also ditching the “experimental” label – a sign that it's not consigning itself to Google's eternal graveyard of abandoned software, at least not for now. According to Martin, this designation was removed because the team met internal milestones in terms of overall quality, user retention and interface standards. She also says users can now expect a higher level of stability from the software.

How to customize the AI ​​podcasts

To create an AI podcast with NotebookLM, open the Google Labs website and start one New notebook. Then add any source documents you want to use for audio output. This can be anything from files on your computer to YouTube links.

Next, when you click Notebook instructionsYou will now see the option to generate a deep dive as well as the option to customize it first. Choose Adjust and add your prompt for how you want the AI ​​podcast to appear. The software suggests that you consider which sections of the sources you want to highlight, what larger themes you want to explore further, or what other audiences you want to reach with the message.

One tip Martin offers for trying out the new feature is to create the audio overview without any changes and, as you listen to this first iteration, write down any burning questions you have or topics you'd like to expand on. You can then use these notes as a starting point to create your NotebookLM prompts and recreate this AI podcast with your interests in mind.

My first impressions

I uploaded an 80-page file of Kafka's famous work of existential literature – in which the main character wakes up one morning to find that he has turned into a gigantic beetle – to see how the customization works for NotebookLM users. The first audio synopsis, created without immediate adjustment, was a solid, if comprehensive, overview of what happens in the novella, as well as a discussion of its key themes. Nothing groundbreaking, but decent.

Thinking like a nerdy college English major, which I definitely was, my first quick adjustment was to have the podcast discussion focus more on the book's themes of alienation and overbearing bureaucracy. With the added impetus, this edition of NotebookLM managed admirably to get to the heart of these themes and generate a discussion that sounded similar to what I've heard before in college classrooms. It was a bit convoluted, but definitely audible.