The idea of transforming text into a natural-sounding conversation isn’t entirely new. Google’s NotebookLM project has already explored this concept, allowing users to turn their written work into an interactive podcast. Now, Google is taking this approach a step further by applying it to your Discover feed.
Daily Listen will analyze your interests based on your interactions with the Discover feed and create a short podcast summarizing the day’s news. The episode is expected to be around five minutes long, providing a concise overview of the most important information.
Google’s Daily Listen lab. | Image credit — Google
You’ll find Daily Listen at the top of your Discover feed, among the quick-access shortcuts and personalized widgets. The interface is similar to the podcast player in YouTube Music, with controls for playback, pausing, and scrubbing through the audio. You’ll also see the sources of the information being presented and a text-based transcript to follow along silently.
To access Daily Listen, you’ll need to enroll in the experiment through the Labs section of the Google app for Android or iOS. Once opted in, it might take a day before your first Daily Listen is ready. As of this time, I don’t see this experiment available for me to opt into in Labs, which tells me this could be a staged rollout. If you do not see it as well, just be patient and continue checking for the option to appear for you.
This experiment builds on Google’s previous work with audio and AI, such as NotebookLM, ImageFX, and Viola the Bird. The existence of all these current projects reflects Google’s commitment to exploring new ways to interact with information and technology.
Personally, I’m excited about the potential of Daily Listen. As someone who enjoys listening to podcasts but often struggles to find the time, this feature could be a game-changer. The ability to get a quick rundown of the day’s news in audio format would be a welcome addition to my routine.
