Look, I’m going to tell you something that sounds fake but isn’t: I accidentally discovered the laziest way to create a podcast that people actually want to listen to. And it took me exactly 5 minutes.

Here’s what happened. I run this weekly email newsletter where I share A.I. automation tips – the practical stuff that actually saves you time, not the “look at this cool robot” nonsense that floods your LinkedIn feed. Last week, I was procrastinating on writing my newsletter (ironic, I know) when I stumbled across Google’s NotebookLM.

Everyone was talking about how it could turn text into podcasts. I figured it would be another robotic text-to-speech nightmare. The kind that makes you want to throw your phone out the window.

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

The 5-Minute Experiment That Broke My Brain

Here’s exactly what I did:

  1. Copied my latest newsletter into a .txt file

  2. Uploaded it to NotebookLM as a source

  3. Clicked “Generate Audio Overview”

  4. Waited 5 minutes

  5. Nearly fell off my chair

What came out wasn’t a monotone robot reading my words. It was two people – actual human-sounding people – having a genuine conversation about my newsletter topics. They were riffing off each other, making jokes, getting excited about the A.I. automation tips I’d written about.

I literally couldn’t tell they were A.I. generated. And I work with this stuff every day.

Why This Changes Everything

Let me paint you a picture of the current creator economy: Everyone and their dog wants to start a podcast. But here’s the dirty secret – podcasting is hard. You need:

  • Recording equipment

  • A co-host (or the ability to monologue without sounding insane)

  • Editing skills

  • Time. So much time.

  • The confidence to hear your own voice without cringing

Now imagine you could skip all of that and still create content that sounds like two smart people discussing your ideas over coffee.

That’s NotebookLM.

The Psychology Behind Why This Works

Here’s the thing about consumption habits in 2025: People are burnt out on reading. Our attention spans are shot. We’re all multitasking – cooking dinner, commuting, working out. Audio content fits into the cracks of our day in a way that written content can’t.

But there’s a deeper psychological principle at play here. When you listen to two people discussing something, your brain processes it differently than when one person is lecturing you. It feels more like eavesdropping on an interesting conversation than being taught something. The format itself reduces resistance to new ideas.

NotebookLM figured this out and weaponized it.

The Actual Step-by-Step (Because I’m Not a Gatekeeper)

Alright, here’s the exact process to turn your newsletter into a podcast:

Step 1: Prepare Your Content

  • Take your newsletter (or any written content)

  • Save it as a .txt file

  • Make sure it’s structured with clear sections – the AI uses these as conversation pivots

Step 2: Upload to NotebookLM

  • Go to notebooklm.google.com

  • Create a new notebook

  • Click “Upload source”

  • Select your .txt file

Step 3: Generate the Magic

  • Once uploaded, look for “Audio Overview” in the notebook guide

  • Click “Generate”

  • Go make a coffee – it takes about 5 minutes

Step 4: Listen and Freak Out

  • Download the audio file

  • Upload to your podcast platform of choice

  • Watch your download numbers go up

The Hidden Benefits Nobody Talks About

After doing this for a few weeks, I noticed something weird: The podcast version was helping me write better newsletters.

Hearing “people” discuss my content made the weak spots obvious. When the AI hosts struggled to make a topic interesting, I knew that section needed work. When they got excited about something, I knew I’d hit gold.

It’s like having a focus group for your content, except the focus group is two AI entities who never get tired, never need payment, and are available 24/7.

The Ethical Stuff We Need to Address

Look, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t this cheating?”

Here’s my take: The ideas are still yours. The insights, the curation, the unique perspective – that’s all you. NotebookLM is just changing the medium, like turning a book into an audiobook.

But you should be transparent about it. I tell my audience it’s AI-generated. Surprisingly, most people think it’s even cooler when they know it’s AI. We’re living in the future, might as well embrace it.

What This Means for Content Creators

We’re at an inflection point. The barrier between written and audio content just disappeared. Every blog post can be a podcast episode. Every newsletter can be a show.

But here’s the real opportunity: Most creators don’t know about this yet. While they’re still struggling with microphones and editing software, you could be pumping out high-quality audio content in minutes.

The playing field isn’t just level – it’s tilted in favor of people who move fast and experiment.

The Mistakes to Avoid

Because I’ve made them all:

Don’t upload garbage content. The AI can only work with what you give it. If your writing is boring, the podcast will be boring in stereo.

Don’t skip the editing step. Sometimes the AI generates a 15-minute discussion about a 5-minute topic. Listen first, edit if needed.

Don’t forget your audience prefers choice. Some people want to read, some want to listen. Now you can serve both without double the work.

My Results After 30 Days

Since I started converting my newsletters to podcasts:

  • Newsletter subscribers increased by 40% (people found me through the podcast)

  • Engagement rates doubled (audio creates stronger connections)

  • I spend exactly zero extra hours on content creation

  • My mom finally understands what I do for work (she listens to the podcast)

The Future Is Already Here

This isn’t about being lazy. It’s about being smart with your time. While everyone else is grinding away trying to build multimedia empires, you can create a full content ecosystem with the push of a button.

The tools exist. The technology works. The only question is: What are you waiting for?

And hey, if you want to see this in action, check out my own newsletter where I share weekly A.I. automation tips that actually work. I promise no fluff, just practical stuff that’ll save you hours: Join my mailing list now

Every issue comes with a podcast version now. Because why not? It takes me 5 minutes, and my subscribers love having options.

Welcome to the future of content creation. It’s easier than you think.

P.S. - Yes, I used NotebookLM to create a podcast version of this blog post about creating podcasts with NotebookLM. Meta? Maybe. Practical? Absolutely.