Jellypod vs. NotebookLM: A Thorough Comparison

Back in September 2024, Google NotebookLM introduced audio overviews, which was a really cool way to transform a bunch of documents, like PDFs and websites into podcast conversations between two realistic AI hosts. Although NotebookLM existed before as a personal learning tool, but it wasn't until they released audio overviews that it got international attention.

These AI podcasts went super viral and almost had their own ChatGPT-esque moment.

It was the first time that a lot of the world listened to AI characters that sounded real, laughed and interrupted one another, and was actually listenable.

Around the same time, Jellypod launched as a dedicated AI podcast studio that focused on full creative control, giving you the ability to design your hosts, choose languages, edit the transcript, and distribute your podcast all in one platform.

If you're looking for a platform that allows you to generate realistic, high-quality podcasts using AI, Jellypod is the clear winner. If you want an easier tool, more catered towards personal consumption than professional podcasting, NotebookLM might be a better choice.

Core Functionalities

We've put together a quick YouTube video comparing the platforms. You can check it out here:

NotebookLM: A Personal Powerhouse

NotebookLM is fundamentally a research and note-taking tool.

It prioritizes the easy consumption of large amounts of dense material, whether that's through chat, audio podcasts, or video overviews. It's a broader platform that aims to helps users analyze, understand, and synthesize information from multiple sources. A user can upload a bunch of documents and consume them in a way that's the most convenient for them.

NotebookLM's strengths lie in the following:

• Quick Audio Summaries: The lack of customization actually is great for users who just need an easy way to digest some information and don't need the podcast to be perfect.
• Completely Free to Use: Although the premium version, NotebookLM Plus, exists, having an accessible free tier is perfect for students, researchers, or people that are just experimenting with AI-generated audio content.
• Extremely Simple: NotebookLM has a super clean interface that allows you to create a podcast in under five minutes. You don't have to create unique hosts or think of a name and description for your show. You just drop in some information and click generate "audio overview".
• Consistent Conversation Dynamic: When you generate an audio overview, you know what you're going to get. It's always a two-host conversation with one of the hosts typically being more educated and the other being more inquisitive. They're upbeat and have a sense of newfound discovery, which leads to an engaging listening experience that you can depend on.

Jellypod: Creative Control

Jellypod, by contrast, was built specifically as a podcast creation studio.

Every feature is designed around producing high-quality podcasts, from source ingestion, transcript editing, voice cloning, and built-in distribution. Jellypod allows users to create hosts with rich backstories, distinct voices, and maintain complete control over the script, narrative structure, and episode format.

Where NotebookLM is built more for individual consumption, Jellypod caters towards businesses and creators who want to integrate podcasting into their marketing workflow, ensuring brand consistency, zero hallucinations, and an easy creation process.

Jellypod stands out in its ability to customize content at every level:

• 100+ Content Sources: Users can integrate a wide range of sources, including documents, web articles, PDFs, Youtube Videos, and more.
• Hosts and Voice Customization: Jellypod allows users to create AI-generated hosts with unique voices, including voice clones! Each voice can speak over two dozen different languages and accents.
• Narrative Control: Users have full control over the structure, storytelling, and tone of the podcast. It can be an argument, discussion, or even narrative story. And every word in the script is completely editable, guaranteeing every podcast is exactly how you envision it.
• Built-in Distribution: You don't another expensive podcast hosting platform just to get your show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Jellypod gives each podcast its own custom website and rss feed, with one-click publishing to all major podcast platforms.

So Which Once is the Best?

Both platforms serve pretty different users.

Jellypod can't match NotebookLM's simplicity or the specific charm of its Audio Overview format. The learning curve is easy, and the listening experience is consistently great and dependable.

Jellypod, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve but is still very intuitive. It's more for power users, businesses, and creators who are focused on creating something unique to their brand without needing multiple different platforms to get a podcast out into the world.

Making the Decision

For users who need to create, customize, and distribute podcasts professionally, Jellypod provides the necessary infrastructure despite requiring a bit more time and investment. It makes sense for businesses, content creators, educators, and anyone treating podcasting as a strategic channel rather than a tool for personal consumption.

NotebookLM serves a different purpose and excels at making information accessible and engaging through audio and video overviews. It's great for students for learning and research purposes, and the platform's simplicity and free access make it ideal for anybody who wants to get going in just a few minutes.

While both tools work great, the decision really depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Both platforms excel in their specific domains but also have their own limitations.

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to consume a lot of information, Notebook LM will be the better choice. But if you're looking for a professional tool to create high quality, realistic podcasts, go with Jellypod. If you sign up for Jellypod here, you'll get 1,000 free credits to create your first few podcast episodes.