NotebookLM: Listen to audio summaries now also in German
NotebookLM from Google now also creates podcast-style audio summaries in German. Google is also launching mobile apps.
NotebookLM: The "Audio Overviews" now also support German and many other languages.
(Image: Google)
Last year, Google attracted a lot of attention for its research tool with NotebookLM 's Audio Overviews. This is because it makes it possible to produce an audio program from a document such as a PDF, a book or even a credit card statement, in which two AI moderators discuss the content. This function is now also available in German as an "audio summary".
Audio summaries in more than 50 languages
As Google writes in a blog post, sources loaded into NotebookLM can be transformed "into captivating, podcast-like conversations". The company has not only added German, but over 50 other languages – from Afrikaans to Icelandic, Latin and Zulu.
The audio content is generated for each individual language by so-called "metaprompting"-driven agents, as Google's NotebookLM product lead Simon Tokumine explains on X. The current AI model Gemini 2.5 Pro serves as the basis for the audio summaries. The "Output language" option has been added to the tool's settings, which can be used to change the language of the audio and chat responses at any time. According to the company, this makes it possible to create multilingual content or learning materials in a different language if required.
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Discover new sources with NotebookLM
Another new function is the ability to discover new sources. Google has integrated the "Discover sources" search mask for this function. Here, the user can describe a topic and NotebookLM will then provide a curated collection of relevant sources from the web.
The sources can then be added to a notebook with a single click. According to Google, this makes it possible to quickly grasp new concepts or compile reading material on a topic.
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Mobile apps landed in Apple's and Google's app stores
At the beginning of April, Google promised apps that would allow users to access NotebookLM via more than just the web interface. Now the application has landed in both the Play Store for Android and the App Store for iPhones and iPads for pre-registration. According to Google, it will be released from May 20, the start of the I/O developer conference.
According to the descriptions in the app marketplaces, users can use the application to create and access notebooks, upload sources, create and listen to audio overviews of their content and much more. For users who primarily use the AI research tool on smartphones and tablets, a dedicated app could make it more convenient to use.
(afl)
