Today’s generative AI can create text, images, videos, music, and more. But one skill that’s becoming increasingly popular is the ability to create a podcast. Google’s NotebookLM is one tool that can generate a podcast that sounds like two people chatting. Now an app called ElevenReader can do the same.
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Developed by AI audio research firm ElevenLabs, the app taps into a feature called GenFM. Using the ElevenLabs Reader app for iOS (the Android app can’t create podcasts just yet, but that skill is in the works), you choose your source content. Here, you can copy a link to a webpage, write or paste written text, import a PDF or other document type, or scan printed or on-screen text. You then tell the app to create a new podcast episode.
In response, the ElevenLabs app chooses the right host and co-host among its AI voices, sprinkles in some conversational touches that real people would use, and finally creates the podcast. You can then listen to it via the built-in audio player and share it with others.
The app supports 32 different languages, so you can create and listen to podcasts in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, and more.
ElevenLabs offers other AI features with its website and mobile apps, including AI agents, text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing, and a text-to-sound effect generator. Most of these options will take a bite out of the 10,000 credits that ElevenLabs gives you each month. If the limit continually runs out, you can sign up for one of the paid subscription plans.
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So, how does ElevenLabs differ from Google’s NotebookLM for podcast creation?
The ElevenLabs app can handle 32 languages, while Google’s tool only supports English for now. NotebookLM is limited to two AI-generated voices, while ElevenLabs offers dozens of voices, automatically choosing the two best suited for your podcast. The ability to create podcasts with ElevenLabs is limited to the iOS app with Android support coming soon, while NotebookLM is a web-based tool. Both are free to use and accept many content types as the source.
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Overall, both tools can create a podcast that accurately reflects the content. However, the conversations offered by NotebookLM sound more natural and more like real people than the ones from ElevenLabs. Still, both tools are worth trying.
Now, here’s how the podcast generator works with ElevenLabs.
First, download and install the ElevenLabs Reader app for iOS from the App Store. After launching the app, you’re prompted to set up an account using Apple, Google, or your email address. You’re then asked for your age range. Next, choose a voice among the default choices. Tap each voice to hear how it sounds. When you find one you like, tap the Start Listening button.
At the home screen, tap the option at the top to transform your content into a podcast with GenFM. The next screen displays the different types of content you can use to generate your podcast.
At the GenFM screen, choose the content you want to use among the four following types:
- Paste a link – Here, you can paste a link to a webpage, online article, YouTube video, or other content on the internet. Just copy the URL of the source and paste it into Paste a link field.
- Write text – Here, you can type the text you want to use for a podcast. More easily, you’re also able to copy and paste it from a document, webpage, or other file.
- Import a file – Here, you can import a file stored on your phone or on any online service available through the iOS Files app. Choose the source, such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, your iPhone, or a local NAS drive, and then select the file.
- Scan doc – Here, you can scan printed or on-screen text for the podcast.
The method for generating the podcast differs based on the content you select. If you paste a link, tap the button to create a new episode. If you write or paste text, tap Listen. Importing a file automatically starts to generate the podcast. And if you scan text, tap Listen.
The podcast generation takes a while, so prepare to wait. During the process, the app plays music and shows you the status to keep you entertained and interested. You can also tap the button to receive a notification when the podcast is ready.
Once the podcast is generated, tap the Listen now button or the Play button to listen to it. Beyond playing the podcast, the app displays a text transcription, so you can see the conversation as you listen. From the audio player, you can pause and restart the episode, skip ahead, go back 15 seconds, and change the speed.
From the audio player, you can share the podcast with other people. Tap the iOS share icon at the bottom and select the person or service you want to use to share the podcast. The person on the other end doesn’t need the app or an account with ElevenLabs. Instead, the episode automatically plays for them on the web.
From the audio player, you can perform other actions on the podcast. Tap the ellipsis icon at the upper right. You can then choose among the following actions:
- View details – View a brief description of the podcast
- Share – Share the podcast with another person or service
- Rate this title – Give a thumbs up or thumbs down to the content and voice quality
- Customize – Change the font, size, and theme of the text transcription
- Help – Send feedback about the podcast
- Export Audio – Export the audio to the ElevenLabs website to use with the site’s other tools
- Rename – Rename the podcast episode
- Delete – Remove the podcast from your library
You can generate as many podcast episodes as you like. After you’ve compiled a few, tap the Library icon at the ElevenLabs app’s home screen. Tap any episode to play it.
Podcast results
In my testing, ElevenLabs created interesting and accurate podcasts based on the source material. But how does it fare against the podcast creation offered by Google’s NotebookLM? Though both tools are worth using, NotebookLM gets the nod for two reasons.
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First, Google’s tool takes much less time to create the podcast than the ElevenLabs app. Second, and more importantly, the AI-generated voices used by NotebookLM sound much more natural and friendly than the ones from ElevenLabs. Still, either tool can provide an in-depth understanding of the topic of your choice in an entertaining and informative format.
