Overview
NotebookLM is now called Gemini Notebook. The idea hasn’t changed: add your sources (PDFs, Google Docs, websites, YouTube videos, notes), then ask your questions. Answers rely only on those documents, not the rest of the internet, and every answer includes citations pointing to the original passages.
From your sources, it can produce:
- Audio overviews, podcast-style, in more than 80 languages, at the length and angle you choose.
- Video overviews that turn a textbook or report into a narrated presentation.
- Mind maps, reports, flashcards and quizzes to study or summarise.
- Deep Research and source discovery to complete a file.
Pros
- Verifiable answers: every claim links back to its source.
- Free for everyday use with a Google account.
- Audio and video overviews that make long documents easy to absorb.
- Public sharing of a notebook (personal accounts) to build a Q&A base.
Cons
- Daily usage limits on the free plan.
- Not every feature (mind maps, reports) is available on mobile.
- With a work or school account, an administrator must enable access.
- It can be wrong: check the sources whenever the information matters.
Studio Elias’s recommendation
We use this kind of tool to digest a heavy client brief quickly: studies, old brand guidelines, workshop notes. At the start of a branding project, loading all of a brand’s documents into a notebook lets you find a value, a figure or a founder’s quote in seconds. For everyday use the free plan is enough; upgrade only if you keep hitting the limits.
FAQ
Has NotebookLM changed its name?
Yes, NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook, at notebook.google. It is the same service.
Is NotebookLM free?
Yes, with a Google account: the free plan has usage limits and accepts up to 50 sources per notebook. Google AI Plus and Pro raise those limits.
Does NotebookLM work in other languages?
Yes, you can ask questions and generate audio overviews in many languages.
