Turn any document into a podcast, for free, with NotebookLM
Idriss Laouali Abdou
Co-founder Karatou Academy · AI Capacity Builder
That 50-page report you never had time to read. That course you need to revise. That one-hour YouTube video.
What if you could listen to them as a podcast, during your commute, with two voices discussing them and breaking down the essentials?
That's exactly what NotebookLM does, a free tool from Google. It's one of the tools I demo in in-person training. Here's the complete step-by-step guide.
What NotebookLM actually is
Imagine a ChatGPT trained only on YOUR documents.
You create a notebook, you give it your sources: PDFs, Google Docs, web links, YouTube videos. Then you can ask it any question. It only answers based on your sources. No making things up, no generic answers.
💡The big difference with ChatGPT: NotebookLM cites its sources. Every answer points to the exact passage in YOUR document. It's the ultimate anti-hallucination tool.
What it generates from your documents
A two-voice podcast
Two AI hosts discuss your document, summarize it and break it down. In French. And you can interrupt them to ask a question: they answer live, based on your sources.
Study flashcards
Flashcards generated automatically, with several difficulty levels. Ideal for prepping an exam or a certification.
A mind map
The visual structure of your document as a mind map. Perfect for understanding the architecture of a complex topic at a glance.
A quiz and an FAQ
Test your understanding or anticipate the questions people will ask you about this document.
The complete guide in 5 steps
- 1
Create your notebook
Go to notebooklm.google.com (free, you just need a Google account). Click New notebook and name it after what you want to learn. Example: PMP certification prep or Annual report 2026.
- 2
Add your sources
PDFs, Google Docs, web links, YouTube videos, or copy-pasted text. Tip: some sites block NotebookLM. In that case, copy the page content and paste it directly as a text source.
- 3
Ask for a summary first
Before asking your questions, ask it to summarize and structure what it received. That way you check it understood your sources correctly, and you get an overview.
- 4
Ask your questions and save the answers
Ask any question about your sources. Important: when you like an answer, click Save to notes. If you close the chat without saving, the answer is lost.
- 5
Generate your podcast
Click Audio Overview and wait 2-3 minutes. Your two-voice podcast is ready. Listen to it on the bus, in the car, while doing something else. And if a question comes to mind: interrupt it, ask it, the hosts will answer.
My tips to get the most out of it
- Choose quality sources: the podcast is only as good as your documents
- If the podcast comes out in English, set French as the language in the options before generating
- One notebook per topic: don't mix your finance course with your marketing report
- Use YouTube videos as sources: the best talks on your topic become your study program
- Always double-check critical points in the original source: AI is still an assistant, not an authority