To make a NotebookLM video overview, open a notebook with sources, select Video Overview in the Studio panel, choose your settings and select Generate now or Generate later. NotebookLM is now called Gemini Notebook, and Google warns a video can take more than 30 minutes to generate, so you can leave and come back.
Video Overviews turn the documents in your notebook into a narrated video with visuals. They're one of the most useful things in the tool for small businesses: a training explainer from your own process docs, a summary of a long report for a client, a short clip from a webinar transcript. Here's how to make one and the settings that change the result, from Google's own help page, checked as of October 2026.
How to create a video overview
- Open Gemini Notebook, the tool formerly known as NotebookLM.
- Open an existing notebook or create a new one and add your sources.
- In the Studio panel, select Video Overview.
- Choose a format, language, visual style and, if you want, a steering prompt (see below).
- Select Generate now, or Generate later to schedule it.
- Come back once it's ready. Google says it can take more than 30 minutes.
Google notes that the Gemini Notebook mobile app may have limits on this feature, so use a computer if something's missing.
One tip before you press generate: the video can only be as good as the sources in the notebook. Remove old drafts and duplicates first, add the one document that matters most, and you'll get a tighter video that doesn't wander off into things you didn't want covered.
The three video formats
| Format | Description | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Cinematic | An immersive video that unpacks complex ideas with visuals and storytelling | 18+ only; English narration only |
| Explainer | A structured, comprehensive overview that connects the dots across your sources | Choose from supported languages and visual styles |
| Short | About 60 seconds on the key concepts | Choose from supported languages |
For most business uses, Explainer is the safe choice. Short is ideal for social media or an internal update. Cinematic suits a big-picture story, but only in English.
Visual styles and steering prompts
If you're 18 or over, you can choose a visual style, except for Cinematic and Short videos. Google lists Classic, Whiteboard, Watercolor, Retro Print, Heritage, Paper-craft, Kawaii and Anime. You can let Gemini Notebook pick one, or choose Custom and describe your own look, which is handy if you want something close to your brand colours.
The steering prompt tells it what to focus on. Pick a suggested topic or write your own:
Copy this steering prompt
Focus on the three steps a new team member needs to follow on their first day, and explain each one simply. Skip the company history.
Producer notes: the Ultra-only option
Here's the detail most guides miss. Google lets you co-create a video overview with producer notes, but only Google AI Ultra subscribers get it. You turn on Review producer notes, describe the video in the chat box, and refine it through cards Gemini Notebook returns. When the notes are ready, you select Review, give all your feedback at once, then select Proceed.
Be careful at that last step. Google says once you select Proceed, the video generates and you can't refine the producer notes any further. Also, if you choose Generate later, the video is scheduled without producer notes.
You can also set the narration language. Google says you can pick from its supported languages, and it keeps separate supported-language lists for Explainer and Short videos, so check yours is on the list for the format you want.
Watching your video
- Change the playback speed from 1x.
- Skip forwards or backwards with the slider or the rewind and skip buttons.
- Go full screen.
- Tap good video or bad video to send feedback.
- Find the prompt used to make it with View custom prompt in the three-dot menu next to it in the Studio panel.
How to share a video overview
| Option | How it works |
|---|---|
| Share a link to the video | In the player, select Share and copy the link. The notebook must be shared with the person or set to Anyone with a link, with access to the full notebook. |
| Share the whole notebook | Other people find the video in the Studio panel. |
| Download it | Select Download and share the video file. |
Three rules to know. Public notebook sharing works only on consumer accounts; Google says it's disabled for Workspace Enterprise and Education accounts. Only notebook owners and editors can make a video public. And if you delete a video, any share link you sent stops working. If a Play Books ebook is one of your sources, you may not be able to download the video at all.
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Check before you publish
Google says video overviews, including voices and visuals, are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or audio glitches. Watch the whole thing before you send it to a client or post it. In 23 years in marketing I've learned that one wrong number in a video costs you more trust than the video ever earns.
For how Google tools remember things about you, read Gemini saved info.
Getting more from NotebookLM
If you're new to the tool, start with my guide on how to use NotebookLM. To see what the free plan covers before you upgrade, read whether NotebookLM is free, and for better sources and outputs, use these NotebookLM prompts.
My verdict
Video Overviews are the fastest way I know to turn a pile of documents into something people will watch. Choose Explainer for training, Short for social, add a steering prompt every time, and always watch it through before you share it.
Some of the extras sit behind the top plan, so see what Google AI Ultra includes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a video in NotebookLM?
Open a notebook with sources, select Video Overview in the Studio panel, choose your settings, then select Generate now or Generate later.
How long does a NotebookLM video overview take?
Google says it can take a while, sometimes more than 30 minutes, so you can leave and come back.
Is NotebookLM now called Gemini Notebook?
Yes. Google's help pages now call it Gemini Notebook.
Who can use producer notes for video overviews?
Google says co-creating video overviews with producer notes is only available for Google AI Ultra subscribers.
Can I download a NotebookLM video overview?
Yes. Select Download in the player, unless publisher restrictions on a Play Books source prevent it.
What languages do Cinematic video overviews support?
Google says Cinematic Video Overviews only support English.
