Turning Seminar Videos into Knowledge with NotebookLM
—Converting over 20 videos into text and having AI read them—
Following up on my last post, I'm talking about NotebookLM again.
I'm still using NotebookLM extensively.
Cutting up books, converting them to PDF, and scanning them with ScanSnap.
Having AI read them to create summaries or audio explanations.
That was already enough, but
I suddenly thought...
"Couldn't I do the same thing with seminar videos?"
Not just books, but
what if I could turn the "video content" I've learned from in the past
into a knowledge database...?
That's how I attempted the
seminar DVD "Complete Knowledge Conversion Project" (lol).
It took effort. But it was worth doing.
That said, NotebookLM
cannot import videos or MP3s directly.
So, it starts with a fairly analog process.
(Next time, I need to get AI to handle this analog process too)
・Create video files from DVDs
・Export MP3s from videos
・Transcribe with Gemini
・Upload the text data into NotebookLM
Writing it out like this makes it sound easy, but
in reality, it was quite difficult.
What I struggled with most was the "transcription."
Gemini would just "summarize" it on its own. (lol)
"No, no, I don't need a summary. I want the full text!"
Even though I gave that instruction.
Even after adjusting the prompt,
it would start summarizing again after processing a few files.
When I felt something was "off,"
I would compare the audio and the text.
If it had been summarized,
I would start a new thread and run it again.
I transcribed over 20 videos using this flow.
Honestly, it was quite tough. (lol)
The fun that lies ahead.
Converting all the video files into text data, and
trying to load them into NotebookLM as sources.
And when I used the Studio feature...It generated:
・Infographics
・Slide materials
・Key point summaries
・Audio explanations
And as a bonus, video explanations too.
It came out so smoothly,
as if an 'instructor' were explaining it to me.
'Ah, this is what learning in the future looks like,'
I honestly thought. Haha.
The content learned in the seminar
becomes an 'asset' as data, rather than just a 'memory'.
Learning shifts from 'consumption' to 'accumulation'.
Until now, it was like this:
1. Attend a seminar
2. Gain knowledge and insights on the spot (but can't keep up with taking notes)
3. It fades away over time
That was the flow.
But from now on, it's different:
1. Watch (purchase) the video
2. Transcribe and analyze with AI
3. Reconstruct as needed
Once you import it, you can search it anytime,
summarize it anytime,
and have it explained to you anytime.
Learning shifts from 'consumption' to
'accumulation'.
This is a truly significant change.
Hopes for the future
Honestly,
it would be even easier if I could load MP3s directly as a source,
but...
I'm sure it will be
supported in the near future.
When that happens,
I'll throw lecture audio and podcasts into NotebookLM,
and my own personal 'knowledge archive' will be complete.
Just imagining it makes me a little excited.
When the way you learn changes, the future changes too.
Reading books.
Watching videos.
Attending seminars.
Those are enough for learning, but
'How do I preserve that?'
'How do I reuse it?'
Once you start thinking this far,
the dimension of your learning rises all at once.
I feel that NotebookLM is not just a convenient tool,
but a 'tool that changes the learning style itself'.
I'll write an experiment report
when I find another interesting way to use it.
This kind of "learning play" is
really fun.
Thank you for today as well.
I am grateful.