Too many files to read? Get Google Drive to 'podcast' them for you.
You know that feeling. A team member or supplier pings you a massive PDF—maybe it’s a report, a new manual, or a guide. You know you should read it, but you just don’t have the time to sit down and stare at the screen. My YouTube channel manager just did this to me with a huge new scripting manual, and I knew straight away I wasn't going to read it.
Instead of letting that file gather digital dust, what if you could just listen to it?
Google has just rolled out a brilliant feature directly into Google Drive. You can now get an AI-generated audio overview of your documents. It literally creates a mini-podcast where two AI hosts discuss the file's contents. This means you can catch up on that report while you're driving, on a walk, or making a coffee.
This was a feature you could find in Notebook LM before, but now it’s built right in.
Here’s how you do it:
Find the file in your Google Drive (it works great on PDFs and other documents).
Right-click on the file.
Look for and select the option to "Generate audio overview."
That’s it. In a few moments, you'll have a summary you can listen to, saving you a massive amount of reading time.
A couple of quick questions you might have:
Is this feature included in Google Workspace? Yes. You don't need to install or pay for anything extra.
What kind of files does this work on? It's primarily designed for text-based documents like PDFs, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word files.
Is this different from Notebook LM? Yes. Notebook LM is a separate tool for research and notes. This feature is built directly into Google Drive for any file you have stored there, making it much faster to use.
Want expert help for your team?
It's one thing to use a cool new feature, but it's another to get your whole team using Google Workspace effectively.
If you'd like an expert to help you and your team get the most out of Google Workspace, the next step is to book a video call with us using the form below.
