Hi, it's Ivo. A long PDF is easy to save and hard to read. This is how I'd turn one into a podcast, a quiz and a mind map in Google's Gemini Notebook, and the 3 prompts I'd paste.
First, the honest part
- The name changed. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026. Same app. If a video says "NotebookLM", it's this.
- It's free with a Google account. The free plan is called Standard: 100 notebooks, 50 sources in each one.
- There are limits. Since September 2026 the free plan has usage limits that depend on how much you generate. Google doesn't give a fixed number of podcasts a day for the free plan. If you hit the limit, wait for it to reset.
- It can be wrong. Google says the Audio Overviews "may contain inaccuracies". Use it to find the page, then read the page.
Step 1: the setup for any long PDF
- Open Gemini Notebook in your browser and sign in with your Google account.
- Create a new notebook.
- On the left, click Add sources and pick your PDF.
One source can be up to 500,000 words or 200MB.
My example: the EU AI Act, the official text in the EU's Official Journal. It's 144 pages and about 91,000 words, so it fits as one source. You can download it free from EUR-Lex (search "Regulation (EU) 2024/1689").
Step 2: the podcast prompt
- In the Studio panel, find Audio Overview and open its options to customize it before it generates.
- Choose a format. Deep Dive is two hosts talking it through. The Brief is one speaker, under two minutes.
- The language setting: change the language here first. It supports over 80 languages, so the podcast can be in yours. The length option (Shorter, Default, Longer) only works in English.
- Paste this in the prompt box, then generate:
Explain this document to a complete beginner. Start with what it is for and who it affects. Use one everyday example for each main part. When you mention a rule, say which article or page it comes from.
It takes a few minutes. You can keep working while it makes the audio.
Step 3: the quiz prompt
- In the Studio panel, click the pencil next to Quizzes.
- Pick the difficulty: easy, medium or hard. Start with easy.
- Paste this, then generate:
Make the questions about the rules a beginner must know, not about dates or article numbers. In every explanation, name the part of the document the answer comes from.
When you get one wrong, click Explain. At the end you can retake the quiz.
Step 4: the mind map prompt
- In the chat, click the Mind Map chip. The map appears as a note in the Studio panel.
- Open the branches. Each one is a main topic of your file, with smaller ideas under it.
- Click a branch you don't understand. It opens a question in the chat. Add this:
Explain this branch in plain words: what it says, who it applies to, and one example. Quote the exact sentence it comes from.
The chat answers with citations. Click a citation to see the exact place in your PDF.
Step 5: check before you trust it
Pick the one rule that matters most to you. Ask the chat about it, click the citation and read that paragraph yourself. It takes about two minutes.
Three tips
- Use the same notebook for all three. The podcast, the quiz and the map all come from the same file.
- Listen first, quiz second, map last. By then you know what the branches mean.
- Numbers, dates and names are where AI slips most. Check the ones you'll use.
Sources
- The rename: "We're renaming NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook." Google blog, 16 July 2026: blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-notebook/notebooklm-gemini-notebook/
- Free plan (Standard): "Sign up free of charge by using your gmail account", 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook. support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16213268, checked 22 October 2026.
- Usage limits on the free plan since 2 September 2026: 9to5Google, 28 August 2026.
- Source size: "up to 500,000 words or up to 200MB for uploaded files". support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16215270, checked 22 October 2026.
- Audio Overview: formats, "Choose a language", length "(English Only)", "may contain inaccuracies". support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16212820, checked 22 October 2026.
- Over 80 languages: support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16164461, checked 22 October 2026.
- Quizzes and flashcards: difficulty, "Explain", retake. support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16958963, checked 22 October 2026.
- Mind Map: "In the chat, select the Mind Map chip". support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16212283, checked 22 October 2026.
- The PDF: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act), Official Journal L, 12 July 2024, 144 pages. Words counted on 22 October 2026: about 91,000.
This is how the app and the plans look as of October 2026. They change.