Anyone tried NotebookLM … is it any good for studying or is it just hype?

Technology Forum
1

I found out about it from this video here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/srIPyZCCFgE

I tried using it with some of my notes for learning Source Filmmaker, and honestly, it’s pretty wild how natural the AI sounds when it talks. It even has fake laughs and pauses that make it feel like you’re talking to a real person. It’s much better than the usual robotic voice clones.

I can see it being fun for making podcasts if you’re bored, but is it actually helpful for studying? Has anyone here used it for studying and found it useful?

2

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3

I use it to help break down really dense technical PDFs. It’s not perfect, but it gives me a good intro before I dive into the full details myself.

4

Wes said:
I use it to help break down really dense technical PDFs. It’s not perfect, but it gives me a good intro before I dive into the full details myself.

Same here. I like how it summarizes sets of documents for me. The podcast feature is a nice touch too. It gives me a starting point before I do a detailed read.

5

It’s super helpful for understanding big PDFs. You can load in large files, and it will break them down into smaller parts for you. But it can get confused if you use terms that aren’t in the document. For example, if a file mentions a ‘collimator,’ and you call it a ‘beam focuser,’ it’ll basically tell you you’re wrong.

6

It’s good for getting a quick overview but not great for learning technical details. For example, I used it with this paper: https://www.usenix.org/system/files/conference/atc13/atc13-bronson.pdf. It gave me a summary, but I’ll still need to go through the paper myself to really understand it.

7

@Abi
Try giving it specific instructions. You can guide it on what you’re looking for, and it usually does a better job. Adjust your prompts if it misses something.

8

Honestly, I use it like entertainment. I start a topic, expand on it using AI, upload it to NotebookLM, and let it make a podcast. Then I just relax with a glass of wine and listen to it.

9

It’s been great for getting into new topics quickly. My process:

  1. Search for a topic on Perplexity AI to find resources.
  2. Upload those links into NotebookLM to generate an audio summary.
  3. Go for a walk or run while listening.
10

I made a podcast with it, but the voices started to irritate me. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t stand them after a while. Maybe it’s just the overly cheerful tone.

11

Mikel said:
I made a podcast with it, but the voices started to irritate me. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t stand them after a while. Maybe it’s just the overly cheerful tone.

I can see how some people might not like it, but I thought it felt like listening to a morning talk show. It’s way more tolerable than most AI voices I’ve heard.

12

@Noor
Fair enough. I think it’s just not for me. There’s something about that tone that throws me off, but I’m glad it works for you.

13

The podcast feature doesn’t seem reliable to me. It’s not really grounded, so I wouldn’t trust it for anything serious.

14

Honestly, it’s been disappointing for most things I’ve tried it for.

15

Here’s how I use it for long YouTube videos:

  1. I copy the video link into NotebookLM to get a podcast summary.
  2. I listen to the podcast to get the main ideas.
  3. Then I watch the full video with a better understanding of what to focus on.

It helps me think critically about the video and compare what was summarized versus what’s actually in it.

16

I used it to prep for a competitive master’s program in business. I uploaded the study materials into NotebookLM and made study guides and podcasts. I spent two hours reading the material and six hours going through NotebookLM’s summaries and podcasts. I also made a practice test using ChatGPT. It worked really well for me.

17

I mostly use the podcast feature. The rest doesn’t really seem useful to me.

18

Teal said:
I mostly use the podcast feature. The rest doesn’t really seem useful to me.

Does the notes summary feature not help you?

19

Noor said:

Teal said:
I mostly use the podcast feature. The rest doesn’t really seem useful to me.

Does the notes summary feature not help you?

I don’t take notes, so I haven’t tried that feature.