Google’s NotebookLM Adds Customizable AI Podcast Tones
Key Points
- NotebookLM now offers four customizable Audio Overview tones: Deep Dive, Brief, Critique, and Debate.
- New synthetic voices give users more options for how AI podcasts sound.
- Audio Overviews let users control podcast length to match their needs.
- Recent features include Video Overviews that convert multimedia into visual summaries.
- Featured notebooks from various creators expand topic‑specific content.
- Standalone Android and iOS apps launched in May for mobile access.
- The latest updates are rolling out in all languages for all users this week.
Google has expanded its AI‑driven note‑taking tool, NotebookLM, to let users choose the tone of its Audio Overviews, which are AI‑generated podcasts summarizing shared documents. The new options—Deep Dive, Brief, Critique, and Debate—let users tailor length and style, while fresh voice selections further personalize the experience. The update follows recent additions such as Video Overviews, featured notebooks, and standalone Android and iOS details, and is rolling out to all languages for all users this week.
New Tone Options for Audio Overviews
Google’s NotebookLM now lets users customize the tone of its AI‑generated Audio Overviews, which function as podcasts that summarize and discuss documents uploaded to the platform. Four distinct formats are available:
- Deep Dive: Two AI hosts engage in a conversational dialogue that unpacks the topic with depth and questions.
- Brief: A concise, bite‑sized overview designed to help users quickly grasp core ideas.
- Critique: An evaluative format that reviews sources and offers constructive feedback for improvement.
- Debate: Two AI hosts present differing perspectives on the material, creating a balanced discussion.
Each format lets users control the length of the podcast, ensuring the output matches their preferred depth and time commitment.
Additional Voice Customizations
Alongside tone selection, Google has introduced new synthetic voices for the AI podcasts, addressing a long‑standing request from users seeking more variety in how the content is delivered.
Recent Enhancements to NotebookLM
These tone and voice upgrades build on a series of recent enhancements. A few weeks prior, Google launched Video Overviews, allowing dense multimedia—such as raw notes, PDFs, and images—to be transformed into digestible visual presentations. The platform also received a curated collection of featured notebooks from authors, publications, researchers, and nonprofits, broadening the range of topics users can explore.
In May, Google released standalone NotebookLM apps for Android and iOS, extending the tool’s reach to mobile users. All of these features, including the new Audio Overview customization, are being made available in every supported language and will be accessible to all users this week.