Google's NotebookLM has expanded its capabilities, offering video summaries in over 80 languages, broadening access and understanding of video content for a global audience. This update, announced on August 26, 2025, significantly enhances the accessibility and utility of the AI-powered research tool.
NotebookLM, initially launched by Google as a research and writing assistant, allows users to synthesize information from various documents. It distinguishes itself from other AI chat interfaces by grounding its responses in user-provided source material, thus minimizing the risk of hallucinations and ensuring tailored AI outputs.
The latest upgrade extends the Video Overviews feature, previously available only in English, to support over 80 languages, including major languages like French, German, and Spanish, as well as regional languages such as Hindi, Tamil and others. This enables non-English speakers to create video summaries in their native languages, making the tool more accessible globally.
Video Overviews transform a user's uploaded documents and notes into AI-narrated slide presentations. The AI pulls images, diagrams, direct quotes, and numbers from the documents to create clear, structured content. This feature distills complex information into digestible content, providing a comprehensive and visual deep dive into the material.
In addition to the expansion of language support for Video Overviews, Google has also enhanced Audio Overviews. Previously, non-English users were limited to shorter audio summaries, but now they can access more in-depth audio overviews in over 80 languages. These enhanced Audio Overviews offer full-length, comprehensive summaries in every supported language, matching the feature parity of the English versions. For users who prefer a quick overview, a shorter summary option remains available in all languages. Professionals working internationally can use the feature to summarize meeting transcripts as shareable videos or audio recaps.
Users can easily set their desired output language for Video Overviews by navigating to Settings and then Output Language, or by choosing their language when generating the video overview. NotebookLM uses the preferred language from a user's Google Account settings as the default output language.
Google has been using NotebookLM internally to improve User Experience research, uploading numerous interview transcripts to identify key themes, patterns, and representative quotes. This internal validation demonstrates the platform's effectiveness for qualitative analysis across enterprise functions. With the expansion of language access, global enterprises can create stakeholder update presentations, training videos, and audio overviews of executive briefings in employees' native languages.
These updates are part of Google's ongoing effort to make NotebookLM more useful for its worldwide user base. The new features are rolling out globally to all users. With these enhancements, Google is pushing NotebookLM closer to being a universal research assistant.
