An hour-long lecture or seminar video — you'd like to watch it all, but there often isn't time. In that case, add the YouTube link to Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and it will summarize the video and answer questions based on its transcript. All you need is a Google account, and it's free.
Is it free?
Yes. Google's Gemini plans page shows that Gemini Notebook is included in the free ($0) plan.
The Help Center table lists the free (Standard) plan's limits as follows.
| Item | Free (Standard) |
|---|---|
| Notebooks | 100 per user |
| Sources | 50 per notebook |
| Chats | 50 per day |
| AI Audio Overviews | 3 per day |
If you're summarizing and asking about a handful of videos, the free limits are usually enough.
1. Create a new notebook and click "Add source"
- Open Gemini Notebook on your computer (on a phone, use the Gemini Notebook app).
- Open an existing notebook or create a new notebook.
- Click Add source on the left.
2. Paste the YouTube link as is
Paste the YouTube URL into the Add source window. According to the Help Center, there are a few conditions.
- The video must be public and have captions, either added by the uploader or auto-generated.
- Only the transcript (text) is imported as the source, not the video itself.
- Videos uploaded less than 72 hours ago may not import.
- Videos without speech aren't supported.
- If the video is deleted or made private, the source is removed from your notebook within 30 days.
If a link won't import, it's usually because there are no captions, the video is private, or the URL is wrong.
3. Ask questions like these
Once the source is in, just ask in the chat box. When Google added YouTube support to NotebookLM, it said answers come with inline citations that link back to the transcript. After you get a summary, click a citation to check the original passage for anything you're curious about.
Summarize the key points of this video in 5 lines. At the end, list 3 things I can try right away.Collect only the parts of this video that mention numbers or proper nouns and organize them in a table.Pick 5 terms a first-time viewer would find hard and explain them in plain language.Checklist before you start
- Is the video public, and does it have captions (including auto-captions)?
- Has it been more than 72 hours since it was uploaded?
- Check numbers and names in the summary against the video by clicking the citations
- For internal company videos or private material, check your company's rules first
References
- Google, Gemini plans: https://gemini.google/subscriptions/
- Gemini Notebook Help Center, Add or discover new sources for your notebook: https://support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16215270?hl=ko
- Gemini Notebook Help Center, Upgrade Gemini Notebook (usage limits table): https://support.google.com/notebooklm/answer/16213268?hl=ko
- Google blog, NotebookLM adds audio and YouTube support (2024-09-26): https://blog.google/technology/ai/notebooklm-audio-video-sources/
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