Google's New NotebookLM - Creating a 2 person AI podcast from your docs!
There seems to be quite a lot of buzz about Google’s new AI tool, NotebookLM and how it can potentially impact the world of podcasting.
As a podcast producer and founder of podcast production agency, Bamby Media, I’m always testing new tools to see how they can benefit (or hinder) the industry I love so much.
Armed with a healthy dose of hope and scepticism, I decided to give Google NotebookLM a whirl to see whether the podcasting world should be worried.
What is Google NotebookLM
Google NotebookLM offers something quite innovative: the ability to upload a document and transform it into an AI-generated podcast with two speakers. It has other functions too, but I’m focusing on the AI podcasting elements for this review.
Imagine the possibilities for someone who has a plethora of documents from a thesis or a PhD and wants to make this content more accessible and engaging. Google NotebookLM could be a transformative tool for making dense information digestible.
My First Impression
Upon uploading one of my own articles, I immediately noticed the AI-generated dialogue format. The back and forth between the AI speakers felt surprisingly natural, echoing real-life conversations. I found this aspect fascinating because the goal here is to create engagement as authentic interactions do. The audio quality itself is quite good, though there is a subtle digital undertone that might give away the AI's identity if you listen closely. It also exports the audio in mono and at a tiny bit rate. You can hear it lacks depth, but I wonder if that’s just for the discerning listener.
The Pros: Potential Use Cases
The first thing that struck me is the potential for using this tool to repurpose and share comprehensive content internally or externally without the need for a traditional host. If you’ve got research-heavy or information-rich documents, this tool could help convey those insights in a more accessible auditory format. For internal communication or membership-based platforms, having a dynamic duo discussing your prepared content could be a more engaging way for your members or staff to learn about new offerings.
I could also see it being useful if you wanted to prepare a “daily news” type podcast where you put together an article and then NotebookM makes it possible to turn that article into a “podcast” conversation.
It has some interesting applications that could be quite useful and time saving.
The Cons: A Few Hiccups
Despite its wonders, Google NotebookLM isn’t without its shortcomings. It might skip details or lack the nuanced depth of a full-length YouTube guide, proper podcast episode or article. Also, it doesn't entirely capture the authentic, spontaneous nature that characterises most podcasting genres, particularly those that thrive on genuine dialogue and human connection, like interviews and storytelling.
I can see where the AI model has learned conversational flow by incorporating regular interjections, changes in inflection and pace but it does start to feel quite forced the more I listen.
This brings us to an intriguing crossroads: How does AI fit into the world of podcasting, which many of us depend upon not just for information, but for that unique one-on-one connection with speakers and their stories?
Currently, NotebookLM doesn’t give you the option to change the speakers, upload your own voices as one of the hosts or do any kind of customisation.
But ultimately, do we want more customisation for AI voice models in the podcasting space?
I’m not convinced that humans want to listen to AI voices in podcasting to get their weekly dose of connection with a “podcaster” that isn’t even really a podcaster.
It’s a robot.
I’ve got nothing against robots. They’re pretty damn cool overall, but I want to hear from a real human with complex emotions, lived experience and personality quirks.
While AI-generated content could serve educational or corporate needs, it isn't a substitute for the rich, organic interplay of human conversation that draws people to podcasting.
As exhilarating as this advancement is, I find myself pondering the future of podcast production. Will AI replace us producers, or will it merely serve as another tool in our creative arsenals?
Transcript:
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[00:00:00] There is a new AI tool in town and I'm going to walk you through it a little bit today. You're going to get my first take, my first review of the Google Notebook LM tool. This is essentially, if we look at what Google says it is, it's a personalized AI collaborator that helps you do your best thinking.
[00:00:28] So apparently you can upload your documents and then Notebook LM will become an expert in those documents and then help you, uh, just digest it easier. So let's say you're trying to review a thesis or some sort of, you know, fairly long document or analyze something. the idea is for you to be able to feed it into this and then get something pretty good out of it that you can then use in a more productive way. Now, the thing that people are going nuts about for this notebook LM is that you can feed it in a document and then it creates a two person conversational style.
[00:01:04] Podcast episode out of the information that you've given it. And so I thought this is something that I definitely need to have a look at because it is podcast adjacent and yeah, I basically wanted to see whether I should be worried about the world of podcasting. so what you're going to hear is my first reaction to this new piece of AI, because I've never used it before.
[00:01:28] if you want to see my full reaction, it's over on YouTube and there is a bit of a walkthrough as to how you actually get it set up and started from there. But yeah, just so you know, as well, once you feed the document in, and then you hit generate audio, it doesn't give you any options to change who the speakers are, you can't use your own voice.
[00:01:47] It just does it automatically with the two voices. I'm not sure whether they're the same voices that everyone hears when they put in their documents as well because I haven't looked at any other reviews. I didn't want to be [00:02:00] swayed in any way by anyone else's information. So I just did it myself. So yeah, I'm not really sure what the other experiences are for other people, but this is my experience.
[00:02:10] So we're going to jump into what you hear from me actually testing it out. And you can hear a little bit of the AI and how it came together. And then after the fact, you'll hear my first takes, I suppose, on the software. And I would love to hear what you thought of the AI as well. Did you feel like it was believable?
[00:02:31] Would it be something that you would actually listen to? Would you get bored with it easily? You know, I love your feedback. It'd be really cool to get your feedback on it. And I believe you can actually leave comments now on Spotify. So if you are happening to listen to this on Spotify, you can leave me a comment there.
[00:02:47] Okay. Let's get stuck into it and let's see whether the AI will be taking over the world anytime soon.
[00:02:54] Brianna: I'm going to use my podcast launch strategy article because that was a 30 minute ish, full deep dive YouTube video, as well as an article that we wrote, which had like step by step information. It took three minutes for it to generate this. I'm scared to press play because I don't know what it's gonna sound like, but let's, uh, let's give it a crack.
[00:03:16] AI Man: All right. So you're ready to get that awesome podcast idea of yours out there.
[00:03:19] AI Woman: Time to hit record and launch, right?
[00:03:21] AI Man: Well, hold on just a sec. Today's deep dive is all about making that launch legendary and get this.
[00:03:28] We're doing it without blowing your budget on ads. We're going through 97 podcast launch strategy
[00:03:36] AI Woman: by Bamby Media.
[00:03:37] AI Man: Yep, Bamby Media. And let me tell you, they've got some seriously smart stuff in here.
[00:03:41] AI Woman: It's not just about hitting publish, you know. This guide's all about strategy.
[00:03:45] AI Man: Oh, absolutely.
[00:03:46] AI Woman: Think about it like planning a surprise party.
[00:03:48] You wouldn't just spring it on your friend out of nowhere, right? No way,
[00:03:51] AI Man: where's the fun in that?
[00:03:52] AI Woman: Exactly. You build up the anticipation, get everyone excited for the big reveal. Oh my god. That's where this whole pre launch hype machine comes in.
[00:03:59] AI Man: [00:04:00] Okay, so we're talking like three weeks before launch.
[00:04:02] AI Woman: Three weeks out, yeah.
[00:04:04] And you might be thinking, time to shout it from the rooftops. But Bamby Media, they suggest a different approach.
[00:04:10] AI Man: Ooh, I'm intrigued. What are they looking at?
[00:04:13] AI Woman: Holding back a bit. At least at first, instead of just dropping the podcast name right away, they suggest kind of teasing it out.
[00:04:22] AI Man: Teasing it out, I like it.
[00:04:23] AI Woman: Right, like, imagine posting Oh wait, let me just I don't know some cryptic
[00:04:26] Brianna: graph What the actual hell is this?
[00:04:32] Wow. Okay. So I'm just trying to get my head around this. So we've got two people, the fact that they were like the interplay between the two of them, where she's saying something, he's saying something. And he almost like he jumps in as well. Like that's actually what happens in real conversation. The audio quality is of course on point.
[00:04:51] Like it just sounds like they're right here in a studio with you because they're not actually in a studio. They don't actually exist. Wow. Okay. Let me just keep going. I don't know, some cryptic graphics on your LinkedIn or X. You can definitely hear some of that robotic, like, digital, though, in the actual audio.
[00:05:08] It doesn't sound proper, but if this was something that I didn't realize was AI, I don't know whether I would realize that it is AI, you know? Let's keep going. Hints at the theme, but doesn't give it all away.
[00:05:21] AI Man: Oh, I love that. It's like a visual puzzle. Gets people guessing, sparking those conversations.
[00:05:26] Brianna: Oh my god, even did a like, wrong, like little stutter there.
[00:05:29] Gets boop people.
[00:05:30] AI Man: Gets people guessing.
[00:05:32] Brianna: Like, that's what a normal human, oh my god, you guys, I don't know, I don't know how to respond to this. My brain can't handle it. Wait, let's keep
[00:05:41] AI Woman: going. You got it. It's all about that curiosity, that fear of missing out. Suddenly, you're not just passively scrolling, you're invested.
[00:05:48] AI Man: Okay, so we're building that pre launch buzz.
[00:05:51] AI Woman: Mm
[00:05:51] AI Man: hmm. And then
[00:05:51] AI Woman: Well, this is where Bamby Media gets even more interesting. They're all about taking your audience behind the scenes. Give them a sneak peek.
[00:05:58] AI Man: Ooh, I like that. Like a little VIP [00:06:00] access?
[00:06:00] AI Woman: Exactly. Share little snippets from recording sessions. A
[00:06:03] AI Man: funny blooper reel, maybe.
[00:06:05] AI Woman: Yeah, or even like a time lapse of your Ugh.
[00:06:10] Brianna: I tell you what, it makes me sound like, makes Bamby Media sound like we really know what we're talking about. The fact that we have two people talking about the strategies that we have, it, oh yeah, like wow, we're so famous right now, like we're celebrities because they are talking about our strategies.
[00:06:28] One thing I will say is that the title of the article is 97 Podcast Launch Strategy. And they said that at the beginning, let's just number 97, like episode 97. So if I was doing this for realsies, I obviously wouldn't have that bit in the front. I would make it that the title was something that made more sense when they led into it, like leading them into it.
[00:06:52] Okay, let's listen to a little bit more. Podcasts are coming together.
[00:06:56] AI Woman: It shows the human side of it all, you know.
[00:06:58] AI Man: It's huge. People connect with stories with that authenticity. It makes them feel like they're part of the journey from the very beginning.
[00:07:04] AI Woman: And that feeling that they're in the loop, it's powerful.
[00:07:07] It builds community loyalty before your first episode even drops.
[00:07:12] AI Man: So smart.
[00:07:12] Brianna: You guys, this is really good. Now I'm listening to it from a perspective of like, I'm not retaining, I'm not taking in all the information here. I'm just listening to it from a, how did they do? They are skipping bits that are in the article, uh, at this point. So there's, there's not as much detail as the article gives.
[00:07:33] And there's also not as much detail as the whole YouTube like step by step guide that I did, where it was like, You know, me in front of a whiteboard going, okay, this is step one, like do, you know, really detailed stuff. They've condensed this down to nine minutes and 21 seconds. So it's not probably going to hit everything, but I mean, I could, I could imagine how this could be useful, especially if you have.
[00:07:56] Documents that you want to share maybe internally with your [00:08:00] team, like if you've got like a internal podcast or you've got like a membership or you've got a masterclass that you want to repurpose into something and you've got an article for it, you've got like docs that are really heavy on information or maybe you've got research notes that you're, you know, you've been putting together some sort of research that is quite detailed and then you upload all this and the AI like condenses it down into something.
[00:08:26] That people could actually listen to and get the cliff notes of that's probably what I like how I'm interpreting it From my first listen through it could be a companion piece though to the full on article The only thing i'd worry about is yeah Like how accurate is it and what information is it leaving out and is that stuff that shouldn't be left out?
[00:08:47] There's you know more that i'd have to look at here, but the actual audio quality itself like Thank you If we just listen to the dude, the man voice, um, just the depth of tone, like the, the big meatiness in the base, in the base there.
[00:09:04] AI Man: So we're talking high quality visuals, something that truly captures the essence of the podcast.
[00:09:09] Brianna: Yeah, so I think that it's doing a better job of the male voice than the female voice. The female voices. It's still, it's got inflections, it's those higher sort of frequencies, it's got a little bit more of that digital sound.
[00:09:20] Maybe it could probably still fool people. Maybe that it doesn't really matter because it's something that you're just trying to condense down, make an article or something that's big into something smaller and more tolerable. So this is pretty bonkers.
[00:09:39] This is hard for me to admit because I am a podcast producer. I am a podcast producer, okay? I produce a lot of podcasts all the time. And This has done a really good job without anything, without anybody. It's not you though. If the point is to build [00:10:00] your personal brand, it's not your voice. You're not one of the hosts.
[00:10:04] That would be interesting if they could take your voice and then have you be one of the hosts and have you positioned as the one with the authority. That would blow even more of my mind. Uh, it's probably still a while off. Maybe not. I don't know. Maybe it's closer than we think. Oh God. That could be interesting because it would save you potentially actually having conversations with anybody real.
[00:10:33] But do you want that? Like, in the same way, do you want that? Do you want to have not real conversations? What is that doing to podcasting as a whole? Isn't that the point of podcasting? Like if I really think about that, the point of podcasting, not for every genre, but certainly for the ones that I feel, uh, the ones I connect with the most, it's about having real conversations with people.
[00:10:58] You get their true feelings about something, or you're trying to dig into something. Look at shows like Joe Rogan and Diary of a CEO and Modern Wisdom. They're real conversations with very interesting people that go deeper than surface level. And you feel really connected to them. I don't see how you could replace that.
[00:11:17] I don't see how you could replace building a personal brand via this method. I don't think that's where the, the, like the kicker is for this. I think that this would be super useful from a podcasting perspective. Let's say you wanted to have, like, you wrote an article daily, like daily news, you know, and you wanted that to be something that was shared almost like a radio breakfast show or something where you've gone and found the news that you want to make sure people know about.
[00:11:48] And then you don't want to be the host. You just want two people to talk about it. You want to be the one that's researched it and found all those, that stuff. You put it up and then you have these two people talk about [00:12:00] it. That would be actually a fine way to do that. You could have this as a branded internal show where you're distilling that information to, People in your team, people in other teams, you're talking about updates, anything, you could really do it like that.
[00:12:17] If you're wanting to have two people in there to make it more engaging, then that's the way to do it. I have seen AI try before where it's, you know, you can feed in some information and then it creates a podcast episode. And that's always been solo. And, uh, And that's been really bad. The AI has been not engaging because there's no inflection.
[00:12:35] There's no like intonation. There's no, like the breaths are weird, just doesn't work, but it does work in this context for this AI model. I could listen to this and not be bored. That's really interesting to me. Would you fool people? Would you tell people? We'll say, hey, by the way, this is AI. I mean, I guess you have to.
[00:12:53] That's probably part of the legal framework around the whole thing. Like, FYI, these aren't real people, but it's my real research. Like, it's my real notes. Just thinking about other use cases, like you could maybe even, let's say you get an article or a bit of research that you're trying to distill, and it's not yours, it's somebody else's.
[00:13:12] You want to try and understand it more. You could feed it into this and then listen to it to maybe you learn better like that listening to other people talk about it again. I don't know how accurate it is like all these things. I don't know whether it would miss too much of the key facts, but that would be worth trialing to perhaps.
[00:13:32] I don't know. I'd love to know what you guys think. What? What possible use cases could you see for this notebook? L. M. Like, is there somewhere that you would really actually use this? What's the use case? It has blown my mind. It's actually baffling to me that we're now here in such a short space of time.
[00:13:50] Like it's only been, I don't know, a year or so since everything really took off in the AI space. So yeah, should I be worried [00:14:00] guys? Should I be worried as a podcast producer?
[00:14:04] Should I be worried? Am I just, you know, are we going to become obsolete soon? You don't even need us to produce your beautiful podcasts. You're just going to send it all to the robots and then be done with it. What do you think? Weigh in, let me know. Have a good day.
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