NotebookLM Does a Lot More Than Make Podcasts: 9 Outputs You're Missing

Odin Training
Mar 27
3 min read

Most people I talk to know NotebookLM as the podcast tool. You upload a document, hit generate, and two AI hosts discuss your content. It's impressive the first time you see it.

But if that's the only thing you're using NotebookLM for, you're leaving a lot on the table. The Studio panel has nine different outputs — and one of them involves a workflow most people don't know exists.

What NotebookLM's Studio Can Actually Generate

Most people only discover the Audio Overview. But the Studio panel has nine outputs, all generated directly from your uploaded source material:

Audio Overview — the two AI hosts discussion you've probably already tried
Video Overview — an AI-generated explainer video synthesized from your sources
Mind Map — a visual map of connections and themes across your sources
Reports — a written summary document
Flashcards — Q&A pairs for review and spaced repetition
Quiz — auto-generated assessment questions from your content
Infographic — a visual summary of key information
Slide Deck — a presentation built from your sources (with a catch — see below)
Data Table — structured data extracted and organized from your sources

For law enforcement trainers, this means you could upload your policy documents, research sources, and reference materials once — and then generate a quiz, a briefing report, flashcards for recruits, and an audio overview all from the same notebook.

The Slide Deck Limitation — and the Workaround

The native Slide Deck output in NotebookLM looks good. But there's a catch: you can't download it as a PowerPoint file or edit it. For trainers who need to customize slides for their department, that's a dealbreaker.

Here's the workaround using Gemini.

The Gemini Canvas Workflow

You can connect your NotebookLM notebook directly to Gemini and use it as the source for generating fully editable slides in Canvas. Here's exactly how it works:

Set up your NotebookLM notebook. You have three ways to add sources: upload your own documents, paste links to websites, or let NotebookLM search the internet for you.
In Gemini, click the + button beside the prompt field and select NotebookLM from the menu. Connect it to the correct notebook.
Select Tools and then Canvas from the Gemini interface.
Prompt Gemini to create a slide deck from your notebook content.
Edit and download the slides directly from Canvas as a PowerPoint or Google Slides file.

The result is a fully editable slide deck built from your NotebookLM research — not a locked preview. This is now a regular part of the workflow at Odin Training Solutions when developing training content from multiple sources.

What This Looks Like End-to-End

Here's a practical example of the full workflow for a training developer:

Gather your sources in NotebookLM — research papers, policy documents, procedure manuals, anything relevant to the training topic.
Use the Studio to generate the outputs you need immediately — a quiz, an audio overview for officers who prefer listening, a briefing report for leadership.
Connect the notebook to Gemini and use Canvas to build an editable slide deck for classroom delivery.

Three different training outputs. One source of truth. And because NotebookLM cites its sources throughout, you can verify everything it pulls from your materials.

One Important Reminder

The usual rules apply — only upload publicly available documents or content you've de-identified. Don't put anything protected or sensitive into NotebookLM. Once it's uploaded, it's in the system.

Want to Build These Skills With Your Team?

Odin Training Solutions offers private virtual workshops for training teams where we work through tools like NotebookLM hands-on, using your department's actual content. Participants leave with practical skills and working materials, not just theory.

Format: Private virtual sessions for up to 20 participants | Investment: $2,000 USD / $2,500 CDN per 4-hour workshop

Reach out at kerry.avery@shaw.ca to talk about bringing a workshop to your department.