How to Launch a Real-Sounding Podcast in 5 Minutes with Google Notebook LM

By: Shanee Moret, Founder at GrowthAcademy.Global

If you’ve been dreaming about starting a podcast—without spending hours recording, editing, and fine-tuning audio—listen up. Google has a tool called Notebook LM, and it can create professional-sounding podcast episodes in minutes. Yes, minutes.

Notebook LM is powered by Gemini 1.5, Google’s advanced AI model that can handle audio, video, text, and more with remarkable speed and accuracy. In just a few clicks, you can turn a blog post, transcript, or any piece of content into a near-real conversational podcast.

It sounds too good to be true, right? Trust me, I was skeptical until I tested it myself. Now, I’m sharing exactly how to do it—so you can start pumping out top-notch audio content without a big budget or a fancy mic.

Why You Should Care About Notebook LM

• It’s Free: You heard that right. You can dive in right now and try it with zero cost.
• Multimodal Understanding: Notebook LM can analyze text, video transcripts, or even slides. It then spins that content into cohesive, dynamic conversations.
• Privacy Matters: According to Google, your data isn’t used to retrain the model. That’s crucial if you’re uploading sensitive info or proprietary content.

And the best part? The output sounds unbelievably authentic—like two hosts bantering naturally on a professional podcast. If you thought AI-generated speech was stiff and robotic, you’re in for a surprise.

Quick Overview: What Notebook LM Does

1. Uploads Your Source File

   • You can add transcripts, slides, articles… basically any text-based content.
   • Notebook LM chews through your content, looking for key themes, interesting insights, and unique angles.

2. Creates Summaries & Conversations

   • Want a quick FAQ? Done. Need a briefing doc or timeline? Check. The real magic happens when you pick the “Audio Overview” feature, which turns your source material into a talk-show-style conversation.

3. **Generates Audio That Sounds Real **

   • You’ll get two or more AI “hosts” discussing your content like they’ve known each other for years.
   • You can even customize the prompts—tell it who the target audience is, what to emphasize, and where to direct listeners for more info.

Step-by-Step: Launching Your Podcast with Notebook LM

Ready to see how it works in action? Here’s the exact process:

1. Go to NotebookLM.Google

You’ll see a page that says, “Think smarter, not harder,” showcasing the tool’s capabilities. Click Try It to get started.

2. Create a “New Notebook”

Once inside, you’ll have the option to create a new Notebook. This is basically a workspace for your sources and AI-generated content.

3. Upload or Paste Your Source File

• Text or Transcript: Copy-paste a transcript from a YouTube video, a webinar, or even a LinkedIn article you’ve written.
• Slides: If you have a Google Slides presentation, upload it, and the AI will generate a summary or conversation about your slides.
• Audio or Video: You can also integrate direct transcripts from MP3 or MP4 files.

4. Choose “Deep Dive Conversation”

After uploading, Notebook LM gives you various ways to transform your content: FAQ, Study Guide, Table of Contents, Timeline, etc. For a podcast-like result, go with Deep Dive Conversation (or “Audio Overview,” depending on your version).

5. Customize Your Prompt

• Decide on the theme of your show.
• Who’s your target audience? Entrepreneurs? Freelancers? Digital marketers?
• Give the AI specific instructions to mention your brand, website, or personal name if you want that brand recall.

6. Generate and Listen

Hit Generate and watch the magic happen. Notebook LM will create a podcast-style conversation—complete with intros, banter, and transitions that sound like two real hosts.

Real-Life Examples: My Test Runs

I ran two experiments:

1. Short 7-Minute Transcript

   • Transcript Source: A seven-minute YouTube video I made.
   • Result: A seven-minute AI-generated conversation—shockingly fluid and hyper-relevant. The hosts discussed my insights, introduced me by name, and sounded like seasoned podcasters.

2. Longer 40-Minute Transcript

   • Transcript Source: A 40-minute tutorial.
   • Result: A 19-minute dialogue that recapped the entire video. It covered key points, referenced data I shared, and even cracked a few jokes (that didn’t sound forced).
   • Pro Tip: If the AI mispronounces your name or misgenders you, tweak the transcript. Make sure you specify correct spelling or mention how your name is pronounced.

Surprising Discovery

Sometimes, the AI automatically identified me as the host, referencing my business and background. Other times, it missed the details. That’s why it’s vital to:

• Edit the transcript to highlight who you are.
• Include your brand or personal details in the transcript or prompt.

What Makes It So Realistic?

Honestly, the voice inflection, pacing, and interactive style are next-level. I’ve tested plenty of text-to-speech tools, and they always sound a bit robotic. But Notebook LM’s conversational approach is more akin to a professional audio production.

It’s still not perfect. At times, it might guess your name incorrectly or skip some details—but with minimal editing, it’s drastically better than anything else I’ve tried.

Important Considerations

1. Privacy: Google states it does not use your data to retrain their model. That’s huge if you’re uploading sensitive business content.
2. Custom Branding: If you want your brand to shine, embed your name, social links, or calls-to-action within your transcript or prompt instructions.
3. Length Matters: Shorter transcripts (under 10 minutes) generate equally short episodes, while longer transcripts produce more extensive shows—so pick your best content.
4. Accuracy Checks: Always listen through the final output. Make sure names, facts, and brand references are on point.

How to Use This for Your Business (or Personal Brand)

• Repurpose Blog Posts: Turn your top-performing articles into mini-podcast episodes.
• Webinar Highlights: Upload transcripts from your webinars and create quick audio recaps to share with your email list.
• Client Testimonials: Have a bunch of written testimonials? Combine them into a short podcast episode hosted by two AI voices praising your work.
• Course Summaries: If you teach online courses, you can generate bite-sized “study guide” episodes for your students.

Conclusion

If you’ve been putting off starting a podcast—maybe you thought it was too complicated or time-consuming—Notebook LM smashes those excuses. In under five minutes, you could have a pro-sounding podcast episode ready to share with the world.

Axtion steps:

1. Try Notebook LM
2. Upload a transcript
3. Generate your first AI podcast

The future of content creation is here—and it’s so easy, it’s almost scary. Now go hit record—er, I mean, click “Generate.” Your AI-powered podcast empire awaits!