Google’s NotebookLM is doubling down on its aim of presenting information in an engaging and digestible manner. The platform, which is best-known as a study and research companion, can help you learn a topic better by summarizing key points and insights, but its main strength lies in its ability to transform raw material into comprehensive podcasts-like Audio Overviews with spoken dialogue.
Building on top of the existing functionality, Google is now beginning to roll out Video Overviews, which, as the tool’s name suggests, adds a visual layer on top of Audio Overviews.
You see this article embedded above? Yep, the one that reads “Everything you need to know about NotebookLM.” I generated a Video Overview for it to test out the new feature. You can check it out here. Alternatively, scroll to the extreme bottom of this article to find the Video Overview embedded.
Don’t expect the tool to generate a fully-animated video that visualizes your topic. Instead, think more along the lines of a Google Slides presentation with relevant diagrams, charts, and images, with Audio Overviews’ AI-generated narration on top. Said diagrams, charts, and images are created based on the data in your shared documents. “This makes it uniquely effective for explaining data, demonstrating processes and making abstract concepts more tangible,” wrote Google.
The tech giant added that this is the “first format” of Video Overviews, with additional formats to arrive in the future. Said formats might actually include more dynamic animated elements.
In a similar vein to Audio Overviews, you’ll be able to specify your custom needs, target a specific use case, have the AI tool focus on a specific source, and even describe the Overview’s structure, like “start by talking about the mission,” or “end with next steps.”
Video Overviews are rolling out to all users in English, with support for more languages expected to arrive “soon.”
Here’s what a Video Overview looks like
Elsewhere, the platform now also lets you generate multiple Studio formats per notebook. For reference, options like Audio Overview, Mind Map, and Reports were limited to one output per notebook, which meant you couldn’t have multiple versions of an Audio Overview or Mind Map within the same notebook. The limitation is now gone, opening up a trove of new possibilities like.
- Have a public notebook to share with the world? Create a set of Audio Overviews in different languages to make your content globally accessible.
- Managing a team notebook full of notes and documentation? Create Audio and Video Overviews tailored to different roles, significantly saving time and effort.
- Studying for a big exam? You can also create any outputs, like Mind Maps, or Video Overviews, each focusing on a different chapter of your course notes.
The new Studio UI is rolling out now and will be available to all users over the next “few weeks.”
