ElevenLabs Launches GenFM: AI-Powered Podcast Generator Challenges Google's NotebookLM

This new AI podcast generator offers 32 languages and dozens of voices - for free

Using the ElevenLabs Reader app, you can turn articles, webpages, written text, documents, PDFs, and more into AI-powered podcasts. Here's how it differs from NotebookLM. Today's generative AI can create text, images, videos, music, and more. But one skill that's becoming increasingly popular is the ability to create a podcast. Google's NotebookLM is one tool that can generate a podcast that sounds like two people chatting. Now an app called ElevenReader can do the same. Also: Spotify Wrapped arrives - now with an AI podcast all about your year in music Developed by AI audio research firm ElevenLabs, the app taps into a feature called GenFM. Using the ElevenLabs Reader app for iOS (the Android app can't create podcasts just yet, but that skill is in the works), you choose your source content. Here, you can copy a link to a webpage, write or paste written text, import a PDF or other document type, or scan printed or on-screen text. You then tell the app to create a new podcast episode. In response, the ElevenLabs app chooses the right host and co-host among its AI voices, sprinkles in some conversational touches that real people would use, and finally creates the podcast. You can then listen to it via the built-in audio player and share it with others. The app supports 32 different languages, so you can create and listen to podcasts in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, and more. ElevenLabs offers other AI features with its website and mobile apps, including AI agents, text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing, and a text-to-sound effect generator. Most of these options will take a bite out of the 10,000 credits that ElevenLabs gives you each month. If the limit continually runs out, you can sign up for one of the paid subscription plans. Also: How to create a podcast with AI in seconds: Easy, step-by-step instructions So, how does ElevenLabs differ from Google's NotebookLM for podcast creation? The ElevenLabs app can handle 32 languages, while Google's tool only supports English for now. NotebookLM is limited to two AI-generated voices, while ElevenLabs offers dozens of voices, automatically choosing the two best suited for your podcast. The ability to create podcasts with ElevenLabs is limited to the iOS app with Android support coming soon, while NotebookLM is a web-based tool. Both are free to use and accept many content types as the source. Also: Google's AI podcast tool transforms your text into stunningly lifelike audio - for free Overall, both tools can create a podcast that accurately reflects the content. However, the conversations offered by NotebookLM sound more natural and more like real people than the ones from ElevenLabs. Still, both tools are worth trying. Now, here's how the podcast generator works with ElevenLabs. In my testing, ElevenLabs created interesting and accurate podcasts based on the source material. But how does it fare against the podcast creation offered by Google's NotebookLM? Though both tools are worth using, NotebookLM gets the nod for two reasons. Also: How ChatGPT scanned 170k lines of code in seconds and saved me hours of work First, Google's tool takes much less time to create the podcast than the ElevenLabs app. Second, and more importantly, the AI-generated voices used by NotebookLM sound much more natural and friendly than the ones from ElevenLabs. Still, either tool can provide an in-depth understanding of the topic of your choice in an entertaining and informative format.

This AI app will turn your reading list into a podcast with digital hosts

Podcasts can be a great way to learn complex subjects, but not everything you're reading has been discussed in an episode. AI audio maker ElevenLabs is solving that with a new feature that reshapes documents you upload into an audio show with virtual hosts discussing the subject matter. The newGenFM feature is part of the ElevenLabs Reader App and will turn any mix of PDFs, articles, and digital books into your own personal podcast episodes. The new feature shares many similarities with Google NotebookLM, which uses Google Gemini AI models to turn documents into podcast-style shows where synthetic personalities discuss whatever you've uploaded to each other. As with Google's feature, GenFM analyzes the information you upload and produces a synthetic podcast with two AI co-hosts discussing the material. GenFM even attempts to match the voices to the topic under discussion. If you're an auditory learner or need to absorb information while doing other things, GenFM is likely to appeal to you. That said, while GenFM restricts itself to the documents you upload, you'll likely still want to be wary of any accidental hallucinations or misunderstood data. You can see and hear some examples in the demo video below. Though GenFM and Google NotebookLM are pursuing the same kind of product, ElevenLabs' AI-generated podcast efforts are a step beyond Google's. NotebookLM is currently limited to the web and can only make shows in English. In contrast, GenFM's AI hosts can converse in 32 languages. Still, both tools cater to more diverse ways of learning and lifestyles. The potential demand from students alone will likely justify the work behind GenFM. And, unlike some other ways AI composition tools are used in academia, this doesn't raise ethical questions about cheating or plagiarism. They also increase accessibility to those with impaired vision who don't want to hear a long document read out when they could hear a podcast about it. They also democratize access to information, enabling individuals with visual impairments or reading difficulties to engage with content more easily.

ElevenReader Can Now Generate AI Podcasts With GenFM on iOS

Users can also convert a YouTube video or a document into a podcast ElevenLabs on Wednesday introduced a new feature on its ElevenReader app that can generate instant podcast-like audio using artificial intelligence (AI). Dubbed GenFM, the feature allows users to add any text or a YouTube video and convert it into a conversational podcast with two AI 'hosts' voicing insights and interesting details from the source. The feature is currently available for free on the iOS version of the app. The company says that GenFM can generate audio podcasts in 32 languages. Google's NotebookLM platform, which was launched in June, allows users to generate AI Overviews of any document or blocks of text in a podcast-like style with two AI hosts discussing the content among themselves. However, the platform is only available on the web and is only supported in one language -- English. ElevenLabs' GenFM feature appears to solve both of these limitations with its AI podcasts feature. The feature is being integrated into the ElevenReader app and supports 32 languages including English, Hindi, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and more. Currently, this is only available on the iOS app, and the company has confirmed that the feature will be rolled out to its Android app in the coming weeks. To use the feature, users can paste text, upload a document, or add a YouTube video's URL to the feature and the platform will automatically convert it into a conversational podcast. The app picks two AI voices from over 12 options, and these AI 'hosts' read aloud the content of the source and interesting insights from it in a human-like interaction. The company highlighted that the feature was built using ElevenLabs' AI audio models and can generate a podcast in seconds. However, the company did not mention the details about the AI models or the source of its pretraining data. The company did highlight that it does not store user data once the AI podcast is generated. Notably, the ElevenReader app is an AI-powered text-to-speech platform that works with a wide range of formats including PDF, ePUB, text, URLs, and even text in images. The app is free to use, and users can also publish their audio for the community to listen to. However, the audio is very robot-like.

Forget NotebookLM -- ElevenLabs launches new podcast creation tool

One of the big boons of continued AI development is convenience, and ElevenLabs has a doozy of a new feature for anyone pressed for time. The ElevenLabs Reader app just got a fresh update that can convert PDFs, books, and even lengthy emails into a conversational podcast format. This is similar to Google's NotebookLM but with more control over the source material. It won't be for everyone, and the example below is a little hokey for my tastes (do we really need a podcast analysis of fairytales?) but this could be a great way to clear your reading backlog. Now is a good time to try it as well as you can get one month for just $1 or two months free if you take out the annual subscription in the ElevenLabs Black Friday sale. This lets you go beyond just having the Reader app. With a subscription, you could clone your own voice or make a radio show with sound effects -- all from a simple text prompt. According to the latest ElevenLabs post, you can pull in content from just about anywhere to "generate a podcast that's uniquely for you". That's done by offering two AI 'co-hosts' that are built from the company's AI audio models across 32 languages. At present, the feature is only available on iOS, but ElevenLabs is planning Android support "in the coming weeks". The idea of blowing through a lengthy contract like it's a digestible discussion is definitely one that appeals to me in my line of work, but dropping news pages into it to catch up while you're out for a walk also sounds that a great idea. You could create your own weekly podcast based on a selection of news stories. Go from a chat about a new SpaceX launch to the latest political news in seconds.

ElevenLabs' new feature is a NotebookLM competitor for creating GenAI podcasts | TechCrunch

Voice AI startup ElevenLabs on Wednesday introduced a feature that lets you upload different types of content to create a multi-speaker podcast for you, similar to Google's NotebookLM. The feature, called GenFM, can be found on the company's ElevenLabs Reader iOS app. Currently, GenFM supports 32 languages, including English, Hindi, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and others. To use GenFM, you first upload a YouTube video, text, or document. The app then picks out two voices automatically to create a podcast. There are over a dozen voices available, the company notes. One of the interesting screens you might see during the app preparing an AI-generated podcast is "Sprinkling some umms" and "adding some thoughtful pauses." At a time when tools are helping humans remove "Ums" and "Ahs," ElevenLabs is adding human elements to its AI-generated podcast. "We debated about how much to introduce 'ums,' 'ahs,' 'mhmms'/ laughter/breathing similar human dialogue fillers or overlays -- we're aiming to strike the right balance of natural, human conversation and providing utility from the content," Jack McDermott, who looks after mobile growth at ElevenLabs told TechCrunch over email. "As we look at exceptional long-form podcasts out there, we find [fewer] interruptions and more natural, insightful conversation flow," he said. "That type of experience is ultimately what we're aiming for while making audio narratives more accessible across voices and languages." Going forward, ElevenLabs plans to support more customization and the ability to add multiple sources to create a GenAI podcast. In September, Google launched the ability to create AI-generated conversations with NotebookLM from the sources you provided. A month later, the company added the ability for users to customize these AI-generated podcast outputs. Earlier this month, ElevenLabs announced it's investing $11 million into the Polish startup ecosystem and opening an office in Warsaw, which will be the company's R&D center to attract local AI talent. The startup also said that it is expanding into India, where it has hired a business head and is now building a team. The company also launched conversation AI agents for its customers.

ElevenLabs Introduces GenFM, its Own Version of NotebookLM

Software company ElevenLabs has expanded its ElevenReader app with GenFM, a feature that converts documents into personalised AI-generated podcasts. GenFM transforms PDFs, articles, ebooks, and documents into audio content with AI-driven co-hosts. The feature allows for quick audio generation across 32 languages, supporting diverse use cases like commuting, studying, language learning, and multitasking, by transforming text into engaging, spoken-word content with adaptive summaries and AI-generated narration. Initially available on iOS, the feature builds on the ElevenReader app, which was launched earlier this year. ElevenLabs is expanding its global presence, now supporting users worldwide with a team of over 100 members from 29 countries. The company is experiencing rapid growth, including the expansion of its hubs in London and New York. Moreover, ElevenLabs is making strategic investments in India. It has appointed local leadership and is building a dedicated team to improve its service to Indian customers, users, and partners. This expansion will focus on localising technology, enhancing support for Indic languages, and growing the Voice Library. Similarly, PlayAI has launched PlayDialog beta, its most advanced AI speech model. This model uses full conversational context to create more natural and expressive speech. It adjusts prosody, intonation, emotion, and pacing, making it ideal for voice dubbing, synthetic podcasts, and customer interactions. Alongside this, PlayAI introduced PlayNote, a tool that generates podcasts, narrations, and stories from various media types like PDFs, text, and videos. PlayNote is powered by PlayDialog's realistic speech and is available via API for large-scale content creation. Play AI offers API access for custom app development, with 16 voice options to choose from, along with a starter app to help users get started quickly and easily. Even Meta released an open-source equivalent of NotebookLM, called NotebookLlama. The project is built on Meta's Llama models. Like NotebookLM, it generates conversational, podcast-style summaries from uploaded text files. NotebookLM, built on Google's Gemini 1.5 model, is known for its AI content generation and realistic voice models. The tool took over the internet for its use cases. Last week, Google launched new features to improve research and learning. Using Gemini 1.5, users can upload PDFs, websites, YouTube videos, audio files, Google Docs, and Google Slides for summarisation and topic connections. The tool provides personalised insights with clear citations for direct quotes. The new Audio Overview feature also turns sources into 'Deep Dive' discussions for learning on the move.