How to Generate an Audio Overview Podcast in NotebookLM

Audio Overview turns the sources in a NotebookLM notebook into a spoken conversation between two AI hosts who discuss and explain your material. It is a fast way to absorb dense documents on a walk or commute. This guide generates one and shows how to customize what the hosts focus on.

What you need

• A NotebookLM notebook with at least one indexed source
• A few minutes for the audio to render
• Headphones or speakers

Step 1: Open the Studio panel

With your notebook open, look at the Studio panel on the right side. Near the top you will see Audio Overview with a Generate button. The sources currently checked in the left panel are the ones the hosts will discuss.

Step 2: Customize the focus (optional)

Before generating, click Customize and type instructions for the hosts. You can aim the episode at a specific audience or topic. This is the difference between a generic overview and one that answers your actual question.

Focus on the financial risks section.
Explain it for someone with no finance background.
Keep it under 8 minutes.

Step 3: Generate and listen

Click Generate and wait. Short notebooks render in a couple of minutes, larger ones take longer. When it is done a player appears with play, speed, and download controls so you can save the audio for offline listening.

Result

You get a downloadable conversation, usually 5 to 15 minutes, where two hosts walk through your sources and connect ideas across them. With a customize prompt it stays on the exact section you care about instead of skimming everything.