NotebookLM’s free tier offers a generous 100 notebooks with up to 50 sources each and 500,000 words per document. While this is suitable for casual use, power users often hit a wall when dealing with complex projects or extensive research. Before upgrading, try these clever hacks to cram more knowledge into your notebooks:
1. **Combine Sources**: Use free PDF editors to merge multiple papers and articles into one document, taking advantage of the word limit per file.
2. **Make AI Use Your Notes**: Generate summaries, extract quotes, and ask questions in NotebookLM’s Notes feature, then use the “Convert all notes to source” button to distill essence from multiple sources.
3. **Stitch Audio Files Together**: Utilize Audio Overviews as sources by controlling audio duration and presentation style with the prompt field.
4. **Summary with Structure**: Create Reports by combining AI chatbot responses saved as Notes with selected sources, customizing the presentation format and emphasis on key aspects.
5. **Cull the Older Crop**: Divide research into manageable chunks by creating multiple smaller notebooks and deleting older ones, limiting cross-referencing between unrelated topics.
NotebookLM’s free tier has its limitations, especially for power users. If you find yourself relying on these hacks, consider upgrading to a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan for more efficient use and verifiable citations.
Source: https://www.xda-developers.com/dodge-notebooklm-source-limitations