Turn Chinese texts into engaging podcasts to train your listening skills? With NotebookLM this Chinese learner’s dream finally came true. But is this AI-tool really as good as people say? What alternatives are available?
What is NotebookLM?
NotebookLM is an AI-powered study tool from Google. It basically helps you organize information, so you can absorb it more effectively.
Suppose you want to learn more about the latest news from China for example. You share your news sources (texts or links) with NotebookLM, and it then allows you to create a mind map, timeline, and podcast. You can also use the AI-chat function (Gemini) to deepen your understanding.
I’m a big fan of the AI-generated podcast functionality. It’s really cool, especially if you’re learning Chinese at a B1 level or higher. From now on you’ll be able to transform any text or learning material into a high-quality podcast episode that sounds 98 percent authentic.
The difference with TTS
A while back, I researched where to find the best AI voices for Chinese. Text-to-text translation (TTS) has been around for much longer, of course, but only since the advent of AI has the quality become sufficient to be useful for language learners (beyond pronouncing words or reading sentences).
NotebookLM takes things a step further. Based on the resources you share, it creates a script for a podcast in which two virtual hosts go through all the shared information step by step. The conversation sounds amazingly natural with the female and male moderator interacting with each other in typical podcast manner. The “step by step” approach, adding new layers of information bit by it, makes even difficult topics accessible. Check this podcast I generated about the new Chinese phenomenon “Rat people” to judge for yourself.
In short, you get much more than just an AI voice reading your text. In fact, you get fresh learning content that almost sounds as it had been recorded by radio or podcast professionals.
Using your own source material to generate AI-podcasts
The greatest thing is that you can add your own source material. For example, I shared a few of my recent blog posts about Chinese cartoons as a URL. Even though they’re written in English, as long as you set the output language to Chinese, you get a highly authentic podcast episode in Mandarin. This is a major advantage. You can use source material you already understand and transfer it into a Chinese context.
Here’s a practical example: you’re interested in the stock market and stock trading. In your native language, you know the necessary jargon, but in Chinese, you know next to nothing. Then you simply take a source you trust and create an audio overview. You’ll then hear all the content in Chinese and can take notes.
But it also works particularly well for long, complex texts like Chinese news articles. News is generally very suitable for podcasts, so if you’ve found a good article that might be a little above your level, you can turn it into a podcast as a warm-up. This makes reading Chinese news even easier and more interesting.
Limitations using NotebookLM
The AI generation of podcasts is, in Google’s words, an “experimental feature.” The number of settings is therefore (still) limited. The default is a podcast with two hosts and a duration of approximately 8 minutes. This is currently not adjustable. You can tweak the playback speed though.
One drawback is that you can’t see or download the script that’s automatically generated in the process of creating the podcast. Reading along would be a great way to pick out new words or have AI do it for you.
Also good to know: Generating a podcast can easily take a minute. What’s more, you can’t create an infinite number of them (I heard the max is 3 within 24 hours).
Other useful functions
Aside from the podcast audio: how useful is NotebookLM for Chinese learners? The other features are actually quite similar to ChatGPT, but they emphasize “study assistance” a bit more. For example, in addition to the AI chat, you have the option to create a mind map, FAQ section, or timeline. As long as the output language is set to Chinese, you get Hanzi.
Personally, I find these features less interesting, because I usually have enough reading material in the source texts themselves. I prefer to ask the AI-chatbot for a summary or simplified version (e.g., of a news article) for faster reading. But there’s certainly a lot of potential, it mainly depends on your purposes.
Alternatives to NotebookLM
You might rightly wonder if you need Google’s NotebookLM service for this. And yes, there are indeed quite a few so-called AI podcast generators like Wondercraft and NoteGPT that do more or less the same thing.
With NoteGPT, for example, you can also use your own sources. This AI-tool offers even more voices and styles to choose from. I tried it myself, and the results were convincing (plus, you get the script). However, more choice—for example, between an educational and a humorous podcast—often also means more distraction. This is true for most AI podcast generators, by the way. Yes, they do give you much more control over the script and the final product than NotebookLM does, but do you really need all that? I doubt it.
Sticking to language learning apps, there’s currently nothing that really comes close to NotebookLM. Sure, there are apps that use AI or offer audio support, but currently not a single language learning app that I’m aware of can instantly create a podcast based on your learning content. No wonder language learners are enthusiastic about this tool.
| Tool | What it does | Why it’s relevant |
|---|---|---|
| Talkio AI | Practice speaking with AI | Responds contextually to your input, great for interactive conversation practice |
| Language Reactor (for YouTube + Netflix) | Real-time transcript + translation | Can be combined with TTS for audio, great for natural language input |
| LingQ / DuShu | Language learning through real content | Allows you to upload articles; system reads them aloud and tracks vocabulary |
| ReadLang | Dictionary + translation while reading | Not focused on audio, but great for input and comprehension |
| Speechify / NaturalReader | TTS (text-to-speech) | Great if you simply want to listen, with natural-sounding voices |
| Descript + ChatGPT | Turn text into script + audio | Easily fits into your own workflow, useful for custom podcast creation |
| Anki + AwesomeTTS plugin | Vocabulary + pronunciation | Flashcards with realistic pronunciation based on your own input |
| Suno | Create music and lyrics | Playful learning approach: create your own Chinese lyrics to enjoy or ‘drill’ sentence patterns and vocabulary |
Conclusion
NotebookLM is a real asset for intermediate and advanced learners. Even though it wasn’t created with language learning in mind, it’s a very effective way to create engaging, high-quality listening content based on your own material. It’s also a handy way to quickly delve into new topics and catch up on things you don’t have time to read. If you haven’t tried it yet and got a Google Account, check NotebookLM out for yourself and see if works for you.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with NotebookLM and similar tools. Feel free to leave a comment.
