NotebookLM Audio Generation (Manual Fallback)

Status: Manual fallback - Use when NotebookLM Enterprise API is unavailable.

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When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• NotebookLM Enterprise API is unavailable (no paid subscription)
• API automation fails and fallback is needed
• User explicitly requests manual workflow

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Step 1: Generate the Prompt

CRITICAL: Always use the script. Never fabricate or modify the prompt.

cd ~/src/research/podcast/tools
python notebooklm_prompt.py ../episodes/EPISODE_PATH/ --copy

The script:

• Auto-detects episode title and series name from content_plan.md
• Verifies all 5 required files exist
• Outputs the correct prompt with proper branding
• Copies to clipboard with --copy flag (macOS)

Required files (5 total):

episode-directory/
├── research/p1-brief.md      # Research brief
├── research/p3-briefing.md   # Master briefing
├── report.md                 # Narrative synthesis
├── sources.md                # Validated sources
└── content_plan.md           # Episode structure guide

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Step 2: Show User the Script Output

Run the script and display its complete output to the user. The output includes:

• Episode and series info (auto-detected)
• File checklist with status (✓ or ✗ MISSING)
• The ready-to-paste prompt
• Settings reminder
• NotebookLM link

Example output:

============================================================
NOTEBOOKLM MANUAL AUDIO GENERATION
============================================================

Episode: Strategic Selection
Series: Algorithms for Life
Directory: ../episodes/algorithms-for-life/ep2-strategic-selection

📁 Files to Upload (5/5 ready):
  ✓ p1-brief.md
  ✓ report.md
  ✓ p3-briefing.md
  ✓ sources.md
  ✓ content_plan.md

============================================================
📋 NOTEBOOKLM PROMPT (copy-paste ready):
============================================================

Create a two-host podcast episode on: Strategic Selection from our Algorithms for Life series
...

============================================================

⚙️  Settings: Format: Deep Dive | Length: Long

🔗 Open: https://notebooklm.google.com/

✓ Prompt copied to clipboard!

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Step 3: User Completes Manual Workflow

Guide user through these steps:

1. Go to https://notebooklm.google.com/
2. Create new notebook
3. Upload all 5 source files (shown in the checklist)
4. Click "Audio Overview" → "Customize"
5. Paste the prompt (already on clipboard from --copy)
6. Settings: Deep Dive format, Long length
7. Generate and download audio (~10-15 minutes)
8. Save audio file to episode directory

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Step 4: Process Audio

After download, use the podcast-audio-processing skill:

• Convert to mp3 if needed
• Transcribe with local Whisper
• Generate chapter markers
• Embed chapters into mp3

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Prompt Template Reference

The prompt is defined in podcast/tools/notebooklm_prompt.py (single source of truth).

Key elements:

• References content_plan.md for structure, hooks, key terms
• Brand intro: "Welcome to Yuda Me Research from our [Series] series by Valor Engels..."
• Brand outro: "research dot yuda dot me - that's Y-U-D-A dot M-E"
• Style: Define terms, cite specifics, distinguish correlation/causation
• Avoids: Undefined jargon, fabricated examples, over-hedging

DO NOT:

• Duplicate the template elsewhere
• Manually substitute placeholders
• Add episode-specific content arcs (content_plan.md handles this)

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Script shows missing files	Complete earlier phases first
Can't auto-detect title/series	Use --title and --series flags
Clipboard copy fails	Manually copy from terminal output
Audio too short	Check all 5 files uploaded, use Long setting