Google recently launched its note-taking tool called NotebookLM. It is an AI-driven app that was designed to help people understand complex documents. Compared to Notion, Obsidian, or Evernote, NotebookLM works completely differently. In this NotebookLM review, I will guide you through this note-taking app’s features, pros, and cons.
Also, I will explain in more detail why I say that it is very different from other note-taking apps that you use.
Let’s dive in!
What is NotebookLm?
NotebookLM is a research and note-taking app developed by Google that uses artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Google Gemini. It was launched last year, and in 2024, in the middle of October, they finally released it to everyone.
NotebookLM allows users to interact with the documents in different ways, like creating summaries, asking questions, or turning the document into a podcast. To perform these actions, NotebookLM uses only the information you upload, which makes the results more accurate, as you are the one who selects the data it should use.
Understanding the sources
I know NotebookLM may seem complex at first, and you have no clue where to start. However, using NotebookLM will be significantly easier when you understand how sources work.
NotebookLM utilizes source-grounded AI. This means that it only uses the sources you upload to answer your questions or complete your requests. You can upload numerous types of documents, from Google Docs and webpages to PDFs or YouTube videos, with a few clicks.
You are able to upload video blog posts from the entire internet by copying only the URL. Regarding other files, you can easily upload documents by dragging and dropping them, and NotebookLM will use the uploaded data to answer your questions accurately.
After the upload, NotebookLM makes a copy of the original file. If you make any changes to the original documents, NotebookLM will not track them, and you will need to manually refresh your sources. Also, NotebookLM can not delete or edit your original files.
Google increased the sources from 20 sources with 200,000 words max each to 50 sources with 500,000 words each. So, NotebookLM can understand and provide you with answers from a huge source, up to 25 million words in total.
As this is a huge dataset, you will quickly realize that NotebookLM’s real power lies when you combine documents and different sources. It really helps to digest complex questions in an efficient way using different source materials.
Lastly, Google said they do not use the uploaded data to train NotebookLM, so you can share any private or sensitive information with this note-taking app.
NoteBookLM features
Now, let’s dive into NotebookLM’s key features!
Notebook Guide
When you upload a source, you will see the Notebook guide instantly. In short, the Notebook guide offers a platform where you can interact with your sources in different ways.
On the left side of the screen, you will see the uploaded sources. If all of them are selected, NotebookLM will use all the uploaded information for your questions and interactions.
In the middle, NoteBookLM automatically creates a summary of the source. Also, you can use FAQs, study guides, table of contents, timelines, and briefing docs to help you understand the document faster.
I especially loved here the study guide. You can create a briefing doc about the uploaded information, and in 5 seconds, NotebookLM will provide you with the fundamentals of this topic. So, summarizing the key points can accelerate the learning process of a topic.
On the right side, you can see the suggested questions and the option to create a podcast from the document. I will talk about this later. Below, you can ask questions about the uploaded sources, and NotebookLM will answer you instantly.
Notebooks and notes
You use notebooks to organize your stuff in NotebookLM. They are similar to how folders organize the files on your computer. Each notebook is totally separate, so NotebookLM accesses information from one notebook at a time. You have to understand that the notebooks are not connected to each other, and they work like different folders, even if they are about the same topics.
In your notebooks, there are notes, right? And this is where the fun part comes in. You can have notes for different stuff. If you close the Notebook Guide’s window, you will see your notes in a specific notebook.
NotebookLM will automatically add the created briefs, study guides, etc., to your notes. However, you can add your text notes as well.
When accessing your notes, you can interact with that specific note differently if you click on the checkboxes. You can ask questions about only one note or ask NotebookLM to describe it in another way to help you understand it easily.
There are also other options, like creating an outline about that note or critiquing the selected note. Nevertheless, if you do not select one of your notes, you interact with all your sources in your notebook.
Asking questions
You can ask questions from NotebookLM at the bottom of the page if you are browsing among your notes or using the Notebook Guide. NotebookLM will always show some recommended questions based on the data you provided.
When answering questions, Notebook LM will use citations so you can see which source it uses to provide you with the answers. Seeing the citations ensures that you will always know the original source that NotebookLM uses to answer your questions.
If you click on the save to note tab, NotebookLM will save this answer as a note, and you can access it when you go into your notebook. There is also something that people tend to overlook, and this is the selection of sources.
For example, if you want to ask a question from only a subset of data, that is not a problem. You can easily select only that specific source you want to work with, and NotebookLM will disregard the other sources.
In the chat feature below, NotebookLM always shows you how many sources are selected. Therefore, you have the full power to decide which source you want to work with.
Turning documents into a podcast
During my NotebookLM review, I experienced something special when I tried the podcast feature. You see, I tested and reviewed many AI tools in the past two years. I encountered several fascinating AI tools, as well as some that were disappointing.
But when I heard the two AI hosts talking about the sources I uploaded, I felt like Google’s AI tool crossed a line. It was way more realistic than I could have imagined previously. Do not believe me? Check my NotebookLM tutorial video, and you will see it as well.
These AI-generated discussions are very impressive, and I feel like they set a new standard for AI tools.
To create a podcast from your notes, just click on the notebook guide; you can see the audio overview in the top right corner. If you click on the customize tab, you can ask AI to focus on specific parts when creating the podcast.
Once you have your instructions, you only need to click on the generate, and that’s it. It takes around 5 minutes, and NotebookLM will generate the audio summaries for you. I recommend you try this feature!
NotebookLM’s pricing
Google’s NotebooKLM is a completely free note-taking app. It is a pretty new project, and during my NotebookLM review, I did not find any information on whether they want to introduce paid plans in the future.
So, for now, you can enjoy all the features of NotebookLM for free!
NotebookLM user interface
NotebookLM offers a simple and intuitive interface. Once you understand how this AI-powered note-taking tool works, it will be easy to navigate its pages.
However, you need to keep in mind that it is not a regular note-taking app. So, when getting started with NotebookLM, you can not just simply start a blank notebook like with other note-taking apps. NotebookLM only works if you upload sources related to a topic.
Ultimately, NotebookLM offers an intuitive interface, and it does not take much time to learn how to use its features.
NotebookLM pros and cons
Let’s see the pros and cons I discovered during my NotebookLM review!
NotebookLM’s pros
First, NotebookLM provides you with reliable outputs, as it utilizes only the sources you upload. It also gives you citations when answering your questions, so you can always double-check where the answer is coming from.
Secondly, NotebookLM’s audio overview feature is fantastic. It allows you to turn documents, videos, and webpages into a high-quality podcast.
Thirdly, NotebookLM has solid features to help you understand and learn complex subjects faster. Using the briefs and study guides, you can digest documents pretty fast.
Lastly, NotebookLM is a completely free note-taking app.
NotebookLM’s cons
What is missing for me is the customization options. For example, you can not personalize or connect the notes in your notebooks. Compared to other note-taking apps, you have zero opportunity to structure your notes.
Furthermore, you can not connect your notebooks, as they work like different folders. So, each notebook is a separate entity, and you can not organize and connect them.
Related articles:
- Notion Vs Obsidian: Which Note-Taking App Is Better For You?
- 8 Best AI Note-Taking Apps to Boost Your Productivity (2025)
- Notion Vs Taskade: Side-by-Side Comparison (2025)
NotebookLM’s use cases
I think NotebookLM is great for educational purposes. It helps to effectively summarize learning materials, understand complex subjects, and create study guides quickly.
Also, if you are looking for a tool to create your own knowledge library, NotebookLM could be an excellent solution. You can create one notebook for one subject and include all the relevant information there.
Finally, the podcast feature is game-changing. Turning articles or notes into podcast-style discussions with realistic AI voices allows you to easily create new content from your previous content. For example, if you write an article and use the podcast feature, you can create a new piece of content in five minutes.
Wrap-up: NoteBookLM review
Personally, I think NotebookLM is a great tool that created a new segment in the note-taking apps space. During my NotebookLM review, I discovered it works totally different from other apps like Notion, Obsidian, Anytype, or Xtiles. None of those note-taking tools can offer capabilities similar to NotebookLM to quickly understand several articles, videos, and other documents.
Nevertheless, NotebookLM is not yet capable of working as a centralized note-taking app like Notion, where you can store, structure, and connect all your notes in one place.
Ultimately, while some people will love this tool, I do not think many will switch from their previous note-taking tools. Rather, they will probably use NotebookLM beside them.
Frequently asked questions
What is NotebookLM good for?
NotebookLM is a fantastic tool for educational purposes and for creating your knowledge library. Also, you can use its podcast feature to create new content from your previous content.
How is NotebookLM different from ChatGPT?
NotebookLM serves different purposes than ChatGPT and works completely differently. While NotebookLM utilizes the information you uploaded to answer your queries, ChatGPT was trained on a massive amount of data collected from the internet.
What are the limitations of NotebookLM?
Based on my NotebookLM review, I found two major limitations of this note-taking app. First, you can not personalize or connect the notes in your notebooks. Second, you can not connect your notebooks, as they work like different folders.
Is there an alternative to NotebookLM?
Honestly, I think NotebookLM is quite a unique app in terms of features and use cases. However, there are many note-taking apps that you can try. I recommend trying Notion, Xtiles, AnyType, or Evernote, as they can be an ideal alternative to NotebookLM.
Can I upload a Google Doc as a source?
You can upload many formats, including Google Docs, from among the sources. You can also upload documents, web pages, and videos.
