NotebookLM Tutorial: Master Google's AI Note Assistant from Scratch

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by massive amounts of study materials and work documents? Do you wish you had an AI assistant that could quickly organize information and generate summaries without making things up?

Today we're introducing NotebookLM, exactly that kind of tool. It's Google's AI note assistant, and its biggest feature is: it only answers based on the materials you upload, never fabricating content.

This article will teach you how to use NotebookLM from scratch. Even if you're a complete beginner, you'll be up and running in 5 minutes.

NotebookLM Homepage Interface

1. What is NotebookLM?

NotebookLM is an AI-powered smart note tool launched by Google in 2023. Think of it as a "personal research assistant" — you upload materials, and it helps you analyze, summarize, and answer questions.

Key Differences from ChatGPT

Feature	NotebookLM	ChatGPT
Information Source	Only based on your uploaded materials	Based on internet and training data
AI Hallucination	Very rare (citations verifiable)	More common
Citation Tracking	✅ Click to jump to source	❌ Usually not supported
Output Formats	9 formats with one click	Mainly text

Simply put: ChatGPT is like a knowledgeable friend who occasionally makes up stories, while NotebookLM is like a research assistant who only says verifiable facts.

2. Why Choose NotebookLM?

2.1 Say Goodbye to AI Hallucinations

When using ChatGPT, you might have encountered situations where it confidently gives you an answer that turns out to be completely fabricated.

NotebookLM doesn't have this problem. Every answer includes citation sources, displayed as numbers like [1], [2]. Click these numbers to jump directly to the corresponding position in the source material to verify accuracy.

2.2 Multi-Format Material Support

NotebookLM supports importing various formats:

YouTube Videos: Just paste the link, AI will analyze the content
Web URLs: Supports bulk importing web pages
PDF Files: Papers, reports, ebooks all work
Google Docs/Slides: Seamlessly connects with your workflow
Plain Text: Direct copy and paste
MP3 Audio: Podcasts, meeting recordings all supported

2.3 One-Click Generation of 9 Output Formats

This is NotebookLM's most powerful feature — Studio. It can transform your materials into:

Audio Overview (podcast-style conversation)
Video Overview
Mind Map
Report
Flashcards
Quiz
Infographic
Slide Deck (PPT)
Data Table

2.4 Data Security Guaranteed

Google explicitly promises: They won't use your uploaded materials to train AI models. Your materials are only used for analysis in the current session, so you can use it with confidence.

3. Get Started in 5 Minutes

Step 1: Access NotebookLM

Open your browser, visit notebooklm.google.com, and log in with your Google account.

You can also download the NotebookLM Android or iOS app on your phone.

Step 2: Create a Notebook

After logging in, you'll see the homepage. Click the "+ New" button in the top right to create a new notebook.

NotebookLM Homepage

Each notebook is like a separate project folder. You can create different notebooks for different topics, such as:

"Thesis Research" notebook
"Competitive Analysis" notebook
"Course Study" notebook

Step 3: Add Sources

After entering the notebook, you'll see three main areas:

Left "Sources" panel: Manage your uploaded materials
Center "Chat" area: Converse with AI
Right "Studio" panel: Generate various output formats

NotebookLM Main Interface

Click "+ Add Source" on the left and select the type of material you want to upload:

Upload Files: Select PDF, TXT, and other files from your computer
Paste Link: YouTube video or web URL
Google Drive: Directly import Google Docs
Copy Text: Directly paste content

You can add multiple sources at once. For example, when studying a course, you can import:

3 YouTube tutorial videos
2 PDF handouts
5 related blog articles

NotebookLM will integrate all these materials as a unified knowledge base to answer your questions.

Step 4: Start Chatting

Once materials are added, you can start conversing with AI.

Enter your question in the center chat box, such as:

"What are the main conclusions of this report?"
"Summarize the core points of this video"
"Compare the pros and cons of options A and B"

AI will answer based on your uploaded materials and cite sources. Click numbers like [1], [2] to see which material and position the answer came from.

Tip: If you don't know what to ask, NotebookLM automatically generates "suggested questions" that you can click to ask directly.

Step 5: Use Studio to Generate Content

This is the most interesting part of NotebookLM!

Click the "Studio" panel on the right, and you'll see buttons for 9 output formats:

Studio Feature Panel

Click any button, and NotebookLM will automatically analyze your materials and generate content in that format.

Plus, you can click multiple buttons at once! The system will process in parallel, generating multiple formats simultaneously.

4. Input Sources Explained: What Can You Upload?

4.1 YouTube Videos

This is one of NotebookLM's most practical features. Just paste a YouTube video link, and AI will automatically analyze the content.

Use Cases:

Learning English tutorial videos, let AI summarize key points
Analyzing competitor product demo videos
Quickly understanding long video content

Tips: You can import multiple videos from a playlist at once, and NotebookLM will analyze them together.

4.2 Web URLs

Supports pasting web links directly, and NotebookLM will scrape and analyze the content.

There's also a powerful feature: Fast Research mode. When enabled, it can search the web for related content and bulk import multiple pages.

4.3 PDF Files

Supports uploading local PDF documents, whether scanned or native PDFs.

Use Cases:

Academic paper reading and analysis
Company annual reports, industry report research
Ebook study note organization

4.4 Google Docs/Slides

If your materials are stored in Google Drive, you can import them directly without downloading and re-uploading.

4.5 Plain Text

The simplest method — just copy and paste. Great for quickly importing notes, summaries, or content copied from websites.

4.6 MP3 Audio

Supports uploading audio files. AI will first transcribe to text, then analyze.

Use Cases:

Podcast content analysis
Meeting recording organization
Interview transcript summarization

5. Deep Dive into Studio's 9 Output Formats

This is NotebookLM's core feature, worth understanding each output format in detail.

Studio Feature Panel

5.1 Audio Overview

Function: Automatically generates a podcast-style audio conversation. Two virtual hosts discuss your uploaded material content in dialogue form.

Target Users:

Commuters: Listen to learning content on the go, free your eyes
Visually impaired users: Access information through audio
Content creators: Quickly generate podcast material

Use Cases:

Turn dry academic papers into relaxed podcast conversations
Turn lengthy reports into audio summaries you can listen to while walking
Generate voice versions of training materials

5.2 Video Overview

Function: Generates presentation-style video explanations, including dynamic visuals and AI narration.

Target Users:

Educators: Quickly create teaching videos
Trainers: Generate training courseware
Content creators: Create educational videos

Use Cases:

Transform research reports into video explanations
Generate demo videos for product documentation
Create video versions of course content

5.3 Mind Map

Function: Automatically extracts core concepts from materials, analyzes hierarchical relationships, and generates structured mind maps.

Mind Map Example

Target Users:

Students: Organize course knowledge points, build knowledge systems
Product managers: Sort out product feature architecture
Researchers: Visualize research frameworks

Use Cases:

Quickly understand the overall structure of complex documents
Extract core viewpoints from books or papers
Create concept maps for presentations

5.4 Reports

Function: Automatically generates structured written reports, including executive summary, detailed analysis, key findings, and other modules.

Report Example

Target Users:

Business professionals: Quickly generate analysis reports
Consultants: Organize client research results
Managers: Summarize project progress

Use Cases:

Integrate multiple sources into a comprehensive report
Generate case study documents
Create market analysis reports

5.5 Flashcards

Function: Automatically generates Q&A learning cards, with questions on the front and answers revealed on flip.

Flashcard Example

Target Users:

Students: Exam preparation, efficient memorization
Language learners: Memorize vocabulary and concepts
Professionals: Prepare for certification exams

Use Cases:

Convert textbook content into memory cards
Create knowledge point cards for team training
Quick review of meeting key points

Impressive Volume: Depending on material richness, NotebookLM can generate dozens or even hundreds of flashcards at once, covering all important knowledge points.

5.6 Quiz

Function: Automatically generates multiple-choice quizzes with A/B/C/D options, plus a Hint feature to help answer.

Quiz Example

Target Users:

Teachers: Quick question creation, save time manually writing tests
Trainers: Test trainee comprehension
Self-learners: Self-testing, identify gaps

Use Cases:

Generate assessment questions for training courses
Test understanding of document content
Create interactive learning materials

Thoughtful Design: Each question has a Hint button that provides thinking hints to help test-takers clarify their thoughts.

5.7 Infographic

Function: Transforms complex information into beautiful visual charts, including icons, color blocks, hierarchical structures, and other design elements.

Infographic Example

Target Users:

Marketing professionals: Create social media images
Speakers: Prepare presentation materials
Content editors: Enrich article illustrations

Use Cases:

Visualize strategy points
Create process diagrams
Generate data visualization charts

5.8 Slide Deck

Function: Automatically generates presentation slides, including titles, bullet points, images, and other elements.

Target Users:

Professionals: Quickly create presentation PPTs
Teachers: Prepare courseware
Entrepreneurs: Create pitch materials

Use Cases:

Transform research reports into presentations
Prepare meeting presentation materials
Create product introduction PPTs

5.9 Data Table

Function: Extracts structured data from materials, generates editable tables with multi-dimensional comparison information.

Data Table Example

Target Users:

Data analysts: Organize unstructured data
Researchers: Compare multiple cases
Project managers: Track multi-dimensional information

Use Cases:

Extract comparison information from multiple articles
Organize key metrics from case studies
Generate competitive analysis tables

6. Practical Cases: How Different Users Can Use It

6.1 Students: Efficient Learning with NotebookLM

Scenario: Finals week, need to review an entire semester's course content.

Workflow:

Import all course PPTs, handout PDFs, teacher-recommended YouTube videos
Have AI generate a Mind Map of the course to quickly grasp knowledge structure
Generate Flashcards to review during spare moments
Generate Quizzes to test your mastery
Ask questions directly about unclear parts, AI gives cited answers

6.2 Professionals: Quick Reporting with NotebookLM

Scenario: Need to present core findings from three market research reports at tomorrow's meeting.

Workflow:

Upload three PDF reports
Have AI generate a comprehensive Report extracting all key findings
Generate a Slide Deck for direct use in the meeting
Generate a Data Table comparing core metrics from all three reports

6.3 Content Creators: Batch Production with NotebookLM

Scenario: Need to create multiple content formats for a topic.

Workflow:

Import related articles, videos, research reports
Generate Audio Overview as podcast material
Generate Infographic for social media posting
Generate Video Overview to publish on YouTube
Extract quotable insights through chat for article headlines

6.4 Researchers: Literature Organization with NotebookLM

Scenario: Need to read lots of references before writing a paper.

Workflow:

Bulk upload related academic paper PDFs
Generate a Report summarizing research methods and conclusions from all papers
Generate a Data Table comparing methodologies and findings across studies
Generate a Mind Map to organize the knowledge landscape of the research field
Deep dive into specific details through chat, every answer has verifiable citations

7. FAQ

Q1: Is NotebookLM free?

Basic features are completely free, sufficient for daily use. For more quota and advanced features, you can upgrade to NotebookLM Plus paid version. Google Workspace users also get additional privileges.

Q2: What's the difference between NotebookLM and ChatGPT?

The biggest difference is information source:

NotebookLM only answers based on your uploaded materials, every answer has verifiable citations
ChatGPT answers based on internet and training data, may have AI hallucinations

If you need to analyze specific materials, choose NotebookLM; if you need general Q&A or creative writing, choose ChatGPT.

Say Goodbye to AI Hallucinations: Only answers based on your materials, every answer has verifiable citations
9 Output Formats: One-click generation of audio, video, mind maps, reports, flashcards, quizzes, and more
Multi-Format Input: YouTube, PDF, web pages, audio — import whatever you want

Whether you're a student, professional, content creator, or researcher, NotebookLM can significantly boost your learning and work efficiency.

Start trying it now!

👉 Visit notebooklm.google.com to create your first notebook

Want to learn more about NotebookLM features? Check out our Studio Output Feature Guide for in-depth tips on each output format.

NotebookLM Beginner's Complete Guide: Master Google's AI Note Tool in 5 Minutes

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