Tips to maximise productivity with NotebookLM

Google’s NotebookLM is an essential AI-powered tool designed to enhance productivity. JUSTICE OKAMGBA writes on various expert tips to maximise the tool

Google developed an AI-powered tool known as NotebookLM that helps people organise, summarise, and interact with their information more effectively.

It’s like a super-smart notebook that can read and understand all kinds of documents, notes, or web content. It can then help you find key details, create summaries, and even answer questions based on the information you’ve uploaded or saved.

If you have a bunch of notes from different sources, NotebookLM can analyse them, fish out the most important points, and help you quickly understand or work with that information without needing to read everything from scratch.

One of the key minds behind NotebookLM is author and innovation expert Steven Johnson, who has worked with the team at Google since the project began two years ago.

In a blog post on Google, Johnson described the platform as “a tool for understanding things”, emphasising its role in helping users explore topics more deeply and efficiently.

He advised that users treat NotebookLM as a “virtual research assistant” capable of offering tailored insights across diverse subject areas.

To help users maximise the value of NotebookLM, Johnson has shared several practical tips based on his own experience using the tool since its inception.

Start with random documents to explore basics

The author encouraged new users to start by uploading their 10 most recent documents—even if they were unrelated or random.

According to him, this was an excellent way to experiment with the tool’s capabilities. Whether users were already familiar with the contents of the documents or not, Johnson suggested that NotebookLM could help uncover fresh insights or new connections that might not have been immediately obvious.

He also recommended setting up one comprehensive notebook containing frequently used or foundational materials—what he called an “everything notebook”.

Johnson explained that this central repository might include inspirational quotes, key company documents, brainstorming notes, and other general resources that a user interacts with regularly.

He said he used such a notebook for open-ended thinking and idea exploration.

However, Johnson also highlighted the importance of creating notebooks dedicated to specific topics or projects.

For example, he maintained a separate notebook focused exclusively on the development of NotebookLM itself. That collection, he explained, included press releases, feature descriptions, and internal team documents.

Having all those related materials in one place, Johnson reportedly said, was like having another teammate who understood the full context of a project.

Use NotebookLM to connect dots

Many users struggle with the problem of scattered information—documents in folders, open browser tabs, or bits of text saved across various tools. Johnson observed that NotebookLM was purpose-built to solve this challenge.

He was quoted as saying that the platform excels at connecting the dots across disparate materials, enabling users to manage, synthesise, and comprehend complex data more efficiently.

He shared a use case involving the development of a slide presentation. According to him, one might begin by brainstorming ideas using Gemini or Gems, open several browser tabs with reference articles, save design inspiration images, and jot down notes in a Google Doc.

Once all these elements are gathered, feeding them into NotebookLM allows the tool to generate an organised summary or outline, which becomes a helpful reference point when assembling the final slides.

Let the tool guide your questions

Johnson also highlighted the value of the suggested questions feature in NotebookLM. He reportedly explained that when users uploaded new content, the system could automatically propose queries that guided them through the material.

This function, he said, helped users who might be unsure where to begin. Once a user starts engaging with the content, NotebookLM would offer relevant follow-up questions based on the initial input and the uploaded documents.

A helpful feature known as the “Notebook Guide” appears after the first few sources are added, offering starter questions to kickstart the discovery process.

Explore different formats for output

Johnson was said to have emphasised that users process information differently, which is why the ability to generate different output formats was built into the system.

He explained that NotebookLM could turn uploaded content into various forms, such as FAQs, briefing documents, timelines, tables of contents, study guides, or even “Audio Overviews”.

This flexibility, according to him, allowed users to better understand material and also made it easier to present insights to others.

He added that the feature was particularly useful for people preparing content for different audiences or trying to absorb information in a way that suited their learning style.

Consider creative use cases

While NotebookLM was originally envisioned for work and academic projects, Johnson revealed that it had become an unexpected ally for creative endeavours as well.

He noted that many users had started leveraging the tool for writing fantasy or sci-fi novels, designing games, and developing story worlds.

In these cases, users uploaded documents containing notes, character sketches, webpages, and multimedia content to keep their creative universes organised.

Johnson pointed out that the platform made it easy to ask targeted questions like, “What’s the backstory of this character?” or “Which characters live in this fictional region?”

Users could even solicit creative feedback by asking the AI for opinions on the most compelling characters or favourite scenes.

He jokingly compared it to using a search function for “interestingness,” saying that it enabled writers to re-engage with their work from new angles.

Dive into audio overviews

One of Johnson’s favourite features, according to him, was the Audio Overview. He advised users to turn each uploaded document into an audio summary, describing the result as “mind-blowing.”

After a short wait, users receive a dynamic conversation between two AI hosts discussing the contents of their uploaded sources.

Johnson explained that the team recently introduced a customisation option for audio overviews, allowing users to adjust the tone, focus, and level of sophistication of the conversation.

He said he had personally uploaded his own writing into NotebookLM and asked the hosts to provide constructive feedback—something he found both insightful and entertaining.

Privacy by design

In addition to its robust features, Google emphasised that privacy was a foundational aspect of NotebookLM.

The company stated that users’ uploaded data is never used to train AI models and is kept private at all times.

Johnson reaffirmed this stance, saying that the platform had been designed with strong data protections to ensure users felt confident uploading sensitive or proprietary content.