Easyimate / Compare / NotebookLM Video Overviews
NotebookLM Video Overviews, and when you need a video you can edit
NotebookLM turns your notes and documents into a narrated video in one click. It's a fast way to study a topic. When the video is for other people — a class, a customer, a YouTube channel — you usually need to control what it says and shows. Here is how the two approaches differ.
30 free credits · No credit card · Runs in your browser
Made with Easyimate from one line: “Explain what an API is.” Every line and drawing could be edited before export.
What is a NotebookLM Video Overview?
NotebookLM is Google's research notebook: you add sources such as PDFs, documents, slides and web pages, and it answers questions about them. A Video Overview is one of its outputs — a narrated video that summarises those sources with generated visuals. (Google's help centre for it now carries the name Gemini Notebook; we use NotebookLM here because that is what most people search for.)
At the time of writing, Google's help page lists three formats:
- Explainer — a structured, comprehensive overview.
- Short — key ideas in about 60 seconds.
- Cinematic — a story-driven video, English only and for users aged 18 and over.
For Explainer videos you can pick a visual style: Classic, Whiteboard, Watercolor, Retro Print, Heritage, Paper-craft, Kawaii, Anime, or a custom style you describe. Google says style selection is limited to users aged 18 and over.
How to make a NotebookLM Video Overview
- Create a notebook and add your sources.
- In the Studio panel, choose Video Overview.
- Pick the format and language — and, for Explainer videos if you are 18 or over, a visual style. Optionally add a prompt to focus on one topic or audience.
- Generate. Google notes that it runs in the background and can take more than 30 minutes.
- Watch it in the notebook, share a link to the notebook, or download the video file.
Where Video Overviews stop
The help page covers the choices you make before generating and the player controls afterwards. It doesn't describe a way to edit the finished video, so to fix a sentence, a number or a picture you write a new prompt and generate again. Google also warns that overviews may contain inaccuracies or audio glitches.
That is fine for your own revision. It's harder when the video carries your name: a teacher needs the example to match the lesson, and a company needs the product name, price and claims to be exactly right.
NotebookLM Video Overviews vs Easyimate
NotebookLM column based on Google's help page for Video Overviews, checked on October 14, 2026. Features change — check Google's page for the latest.
| Easyimate | NotebookLM Video Overviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts from | A one-line topic, a brief, or your finished script | The sources in your notebook, with an optional focus prompt |
| Script | Shown to you first; edit any line, or keep your own script word for word | Generated from your sources; editing the script isn't described |
| Scenes | Storyboard shown first; change labels, props, characters or whole scenes | Generated; editing scenes isn't described |
| Look | Hand drawn stroke by stroke: Whiteboard or Chalkboard | Classic, Whiteboard, Watercolor, Anime and more, or a custom style |
| Length | You choose, from 15 seconds to 30 minutes | Set by the format; Short is about 60 seconds |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 landscape or 9:16 vertical for Shorts, Reels and TikTok | Not stated on the help page |
| Voice | Pick from 61 natural voices in 12 languages; preview before you choose | Generated narration; Explainer and Short each list their own languages |
| Music and captions | Music generated for each video, plus an SRT caption file | Not stated on the help page |
| Export | MP4 in 720p, 1080p, 2K or 4K at 30 or 60 fps | Download button; may be blocked for Play Books sources |
| Price | 30 free credits, then from $19/month | Part of NotebookLM; see Google for plans and usage limits |
Source: Google's help page for Video Overviews. “Not stated” and “isn't described” mean the page doesn't mention it, not that the feature is missing.
When NotebookLM is the better fit
- You want a quick video summary of your own reading or research.
- Your material is already in a notebook — long PDFs, papers, meeting notes.
- You like a painted or anime look more than a hand-drawn one.
- The video is for you or a small group, and a re-generate is an acceptable fix.
When Easyimate is the better fit
- The video goes to students, customers or a public channel, and every word must be right.
- You already have a script and want it narrated exactly as written.
- You need a fixed length, a vertical version, captions or 4K.
- You want the classic whiteboard or chalkboard explainer, drawn line by line as the voice speaks.
Use them together
NotebookLM is good at reading your sources; Easyimate is built for publishing. You can use one after the other.
Research in your notebook
Ask NotebookLM for the key points of your sources, or watch its overview to see what matters.
Paste it into Easyimate
Paste the summary or your own script. Pick the length, audience, language, voice and board.
Review and export
Fix any line or drawing in the storyboard, preview with the real voice, and download the MP4 with captions.
Questions
What is a NotebookLM Video Overview?
A Video Overview is a narrated video that NotebookLM generates from the sources in a notebook, such as PDFs, documents and web pages. Google offers three formats: Explainer, Short (about 60 seconds) and Cinematic, plus visual styles such as Whiteboard, Watercolor and Anime.
Can I edit a NotebookLM Video Overview?
Google's help page describes choosing the format, language, style and custom instructions before you generate, and playback, download and feedback afterwards. It does not describe editing the script or scenes of a finished video; to change it, you generate a new one. Easyimate shows you the script and storyboard first, and you can edit every line and drawing before rendering.
Does NotebookLM have a whiteboard style?
Yes. Whiteboard is one of the listed visual styles for Video Overviews. According to Google, style selection is limited to users aged 18 and over and does not apply to Cinematic or Short videos.
Can I download a NotebookLM Video Overview?
Yes, there is a Download button. Google notes that downloads can be blocked for notebooks that use a Play Books ebook as a source.
Can I use my own script word for word?
NotebookLM summarises your sources in its own words; you can steer the focus with a prompt. In Easyimate you can tick “This is my script, keep my words”, and your text is narrated word for word while the scenes are drawn around it.
Is Easyimate free to try?
Yes. New accounts get 30 free credits after email verification, enough for one short video exported in 720p with a small watermark. No credit card is needed.
More on the style: AI whiteboard animation · AI videos for teachers · Easyimate vs Doodly vs VideoScribe
An explainer you can check line by line
Make an editable explainer free30 free credits · No credit card