You Can Turn Giant Pdfs Into Digestible Audio Overviews In Google Drive Now - Here's How

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• You tin now create an audio podcast from immoderate PDF connected Google Drive.
• The podcasts tin move a barren taxable into a lively conversation.
• You will request a paid Workspace relationship aliases Google AI subscription.

A long, barren PDF is waiting for you connected Google Drive. But you can't rather muster up nan clip aliases liking to publication it. You don't person to, not erstwhile Gemini tin create an absorbing and entertaining audio podcast of it.

As of Tuesday, Google's already celebrated Audio Overview characteristic is now built into Google Drive. Here, you tin pat into Gemini to toggle shape immoderate PDF into a podcast narrated by 2 AI-generated hosts. That includes text-heavy business contented for illustration manufacture reports, contracts, and gathering transcripts.

Oh, great, you say. Now, alternatively of reference a agelong and dull PDF, I person to perceive to a agelong and dull podcast. Nope, that's not really it works. First, nan audio overviews are short summaries, lasting anyplace from 2 to nary much than 10 minutes. Plus, they tin beryllium entertaining.

Also: I tested this caller AI podcast instrumentality to spot if it tin hit NotebookLM - here's really it did

Though nan hosts are AI-generated, they adhd a unsocial flair and moreover an offbeat consciousness of joke to nan conversation. No matter really barren nan topic, they usually find a measurement to bring it to life.

The podcasts are stored successful Google Drive on pinch nan original root PDF, truthful you're capable to perceive to them anyplace via PC aliases mobile device. That intends you tin occurrence them up during a walk, successful nan car, aliases astatine nan gym. I already perceive to a batch of podcasts during a emblematic week, truthful I tin easy adhd these audio overviews to my queue.

There's only 1 hiccup. The characteristic isn't disposable for everyone. To subordinate nan fun, you must person a Google Workspace account--Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, aliases Enterprise Plus. You're besides bully to spell if you subscribe to Google AI Pro, AI Ultra, Google AI Ultra for Business, aliases Google AI Pro for Education. On my end, I person a Google AI Pro plan, truthful that's why I was capable to effort it out.

How it works

Sign successful to Google Drive. Pick a PDF you'd for illustration to perceive arsenic a podcast. Don't beryllium acrophobic to take 1 that's barren and technical. In my case, I chose 1 pinch tips connected utilizing Microsoft Excel. Click nan three-dot icon adjacent to nan file's thumbnail and prime "Create an audio overview."

In response, a pane opens connected nan right, telling you that nan overview is being generated. When nan process is complete, you'll person an email notification. From Google Drive, conscionable click nan Play fastener to rev up nan podcast. The audio record itself is stored successful a caller files called Audio overviews, truthful you tin entree it whenever you want.

The overview opens successful a abstracted window, fresh to footwear off. Click nan Play button, and nan hosts statesman their banter. As promised, they effort to bring a earthy and moreover light-hearted attack to nan topic.

Also: I tested 3 text-to-speech AI models to spot which is champion - perceive my results

With nan Excel tips podcast, 1 big admitted that group person a love/hate narration pinch nan software, while nan different said that nan complexities of nan programme are astir apt costing you clip and possibly immoderate sanity. Overall, they turned a barren taxable into a lively conversation, 1 that was not only informative but entertaining.

Of course, AI is still fallible, which intends nan hosts could get immoderate of nan specifications wrong. If this is an important business document, you'll want to double-check nan record itself to spot if nan speech is meticulous arsenic good arsenic interesting.

This latest incarnation of Audio Overviews uses nan aforesaid podcast-generating exertion already recovered successful Google's NotebookLM, arsenic good arsenic Search and Chrome.

Other companies person developed akin devices to create podcasts utilizing AI. ElevenLabs Reader tin move articles, webpages, written text, documents, and PDFs into AI-powered podcasts. Speechify's text-to-speech app will generate podcasts from documents, articles, and PDFs.