How to Use Google NotebookLM (Full Tutorial)

Summary of the Tutorial (Google NotebookLM)

What NotebookLM is

NotebookLM is an AI “research assistant” that ingests sources like:

• PDFs
• Notes
• Websites
• Videos

It helps users summarize content, answer questions, and generate new outputs based on their sources.

Step-by-step setup

1. Go to the NotebookLM website and sign in with a Google account.
2. Click Create new to make a Notebook (a workspace for a specific project/topic).
3. Name the notebook (e.g., cookie product launch planning).
4. Add sources via Add sources:
   • Drag-and-drop a PDF
   • Add documents/notes from Google Drive (e.g., meeting notes)
   • Add a website and a YouTube video
5. (Optional) Search the web for more sources, preview found sources, and selectively import only what’s relevant.

Working with sources and content

• Each source can be opened to view:
  • An AI-generated summary
  • The document’s content
• With many sources, NotebookLM can auto-group them using auto-tagging.
• The main interface is a chat panel where you ask questions in natural language.
• Answers include citations:
  • Clickable citation numbers take you to the exact source excerpt used
  • The relevant text is highlighted

Saving and organizing outputs

• Responses can be saved as a note.
• Notes can be created/edited manually (e.g., adding “customer feedback”).
• A note can be converted into a new source, so it becomes part of the notebook’s knowledge base.

Notebook Studio features (generated artifacts)

In Notebook Studio, you can generate artifacts, including:

Mind maps

• Select which sources to include.
• Generate a mind map (referred to like a “landscape” artifact) showing how ideas/topics connect.
• Supports:
  • Zooming and navigation
  • Clicking into topics for more detail

Audio overview / podcast-style output

• Generate an AI audio overview described as a podcast discussion based on selected sources.
• Settings include:
  • Format
  • Language
  • Length
  • Focus areas
• The output is generated after selecting sources and clicking generate.

Other outputs mentioned

Beyond mind maps and audio, the tutorial also notes NotebookLM can generate:

• Video overviews
• Reports
• Flashcards
• And more

Sharing and permissions

• Notebooks can be shared with specific people.
• Permissions include roles such as reviewer and editor (and the ability to remove access).
• Sharing scope can be set to restricted, meaning only explicitly added people can access the notebook.
• Shared users can work with the same sources, notes, and generated content.

Important caution

As with any AI tool, users should verify important information, especially for work/research.

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Main speaker / sources

• Speaker: Kevin (introduced as “I’m Kevin” during the walkthrough)
• Primary product shown: Google NotebookLM (including examples using PDFs, Google Drive notes, websites, and a YouTube video)