Google has added the ability to customize audio overviews to its AI-powered note-taking and research assistant, NotebookLM. This long-awaited feature allows users to guide AI-generated content summaries, making them more aligned with specific needs and preferences.
If you haven't yet tried out NotebookLM's Audio Overview, you definitely should. It creates an interactive, two-person podcast-style audio conversation on your content using Google's Gemini 1.5 AI model. However, up until now, you had no control over the output. With the new "Customize" feature, you can focus on particular topics, adjust the expertise level, and guide AI hosts to ensure that what they cover best matches your goals—whether you're focusing on technical nuances or high-level takeaways.
It's like handing the AI hosts a set of instructions before they go live, ensuring the information they share is more aligned with what's important to you. This update addresses the common issue of conversations drifting into less relevant areas, offering you greater control over the depth and focus of the content.
NotebookLM's product lead, Raiza Martin, noted, "The number one feature people wanted was just to give the AI a little nudge." The addition of customizable audio aims to do just that, while also helping reduce those infamous AI hallucinations that sometimes occur when generated conversations stray beyond the information provided.
Alongside customization, Google is introducing background listening for Audio Overviews, letting you continue working within NotebookLM while still tuning in. You can query your sources, pull citations, or explore relevant quotes, all without interrupting the audio. This feature aims to enhance productivity by keeping you engaged with your materials while multitasking.
In tandem with these personalization options, Google also announced the launch of the NotebookLM Business pilot program, offering NotebookLM as part of Google Workspace. Designed for businesses, universities, and organizations, NotebookLM Business includes advanced features that emphasize privacy and data security, which have been central to the tool's design since its inception.
Organizations that join the pilot will get early access to new product features, training, and email support, allowing them to shape NotebookLM's future to better suit their needs. According to Google, more than 80,000 organizations are already using NotebookLM, and the introduction of a business-focused edition represents a strategic move to expand its footprint across enterprise use cases.
Google has yet to announce specific pricing, details, or a timeline for the full release of NotebookLM Business, but it's clear that the demand for AI-powered, flexible note-taking and summarization tools is only growing.