Google NotebookLM Plus Now Available for Individuals

Google Extends NotebookLM Plus Availability to Individual Users

Google has broadened access to NotebookLM Plus, the premium, AI-powered iteration of its note-taking and research tool, to individuals who subscribe to the Google One AI Premium plan. This rollout occurs approximately two months following its initial release for enterprise clients through Google Cloud and Google Workspace.

Enhanced Features and Usage Limits

Initially unveiled in December after a preliminary testing phase, NotebookLM Plus provides increased usage allowances and exclusive functionalities. Users benefit from five times the usage capacity of the free NotebookLM version, equating to 500 notebooks and up to 300 sources per notebook.

Furthermore, the premium tier allows for as many as 500 chat inquiries and 20 audio generations daily.

Pricing and Student Discounts

Access to these features is now available to individual subscribers through the Google One AI Premium tier, priced at $20 per month. A 50% discount is being offered to students aged 18 and over within the U.S., reducing the monthly cost to $9.99.

“Our intention has always been to make NotebookLM Plus available to both businesses and individual consumers,” stated Kelly Schaefer, Director of Product and Domain Lead at Google Labs, in a recent interview. “We’ve observed significant interest from consumers, particularly students, from the very beginning.”

Evolution of NotebookLM

NotebookLM was initially launched as a project in 2023 and gained prominence following the introduction of its Audio Overviews feature in September of the previous year. This capability, which enables the creation of podcast-style audio conversations from uploaded content, inspired similar developments from companies such as ElevenLabs and Meta.

Google’s offering has continued to evolve through consistent updates, including the addition of controls for guiding AI-generated audio conversations.

Future Enhancements

According to Schaefer, Google is planning to expand the language support for Audio Overviews in NotebookLM beyond English. “We are currently evaluating language prioritization and, crucially, ensuring that the resulting audio experiences are authentic and as seamless as our existing Audio Overviews,” she explained.

While the specific Gemini AI models powering NotebookLM were not disclosed, Schaefer confirmed that the underlying model is currently consistent for both Plus and non-premium users. Google Labs continually experiments with various Gemini versions, selecting the most appropriate model for each specific task.

Mobile App and Reasoning Models

The development team is also focused on bringing NotebookLM to mobile devices via a dedicated application, though a firm release timeline has not been announced. The goal is to deliver a mobile experience that mirrors the desktop version while being optimized for common mobile use cases.

Furthermore, Google is investigating how NotebookLM can integrate emerging reasoning models to enhance its capabilities in thinking and reasoning-based tasks.

Commitment to Free Users

Despite the expansion of NotebookLM Plus to Google One AI Premium subscribers – which also includes access to Gemini Advanced, Gemini integration within Gmail and Docs, and 2TB of cloud storage – Schaefer emphasized the continued support for non-paying users.

“We are dedicated to providing an excellent experience for all NotebookLM users, regardless of their subscription status,” she stated. “Our focus is on enhancing the value proposition for Plus users without compromising the experience for those using the free version.”

User Growth and Data

Google has not revealed the precise number of NotebookLM users or the size of its development team, but has acknowledged consistent growth over time. Data from Similarweb, a market intelligence firm, indicates that the AI assistant has received 28.18 million visits in the last three months, with nearly 9 million visits occurring in January alone.

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