Facts checked November 7, 2026
NotebookLM alternative for YouTube videos
Short answer: NotebookLM, which Google now calls Gemini Notebook, only imports public YouTube videos that have captions, and it imports just the transcript text. If your video has no captions, is less than 72 hours old, or is in a language it rejects, use a tool that transcribes the audio. YouTLDR does that for videos up to 5 hours, for $12/month. If your videos have captions, NotebookLM is free and may be all you need.
Why NotebookLM rejects some YouTube videos
- Only public YouTube videos with captions, uploaded or auto-generated, can be added.
- Videos without speech are not supported, and videos uploaded less than 72 hours ago may not import.
- Imports can fail because the video's language is not supported.
- Only the transcript text is imported, so anything shown on screen but not said is missing.
The options
YouTLDR$12/month (Pro)
Pick it if: your video has no captions, is brand new, or is in a language NotebookLM rejects. YouTLDR transcribes the audio when a video has no captions (up to 5 hours), works in 125+ languages, and exports transcripts as TXT, DOC, CSV, SRT or VTT, and you can ask questions across your saved videos with answers that cite the video and timestamp.
Chat, quizzes, chapters, video comparison, questions across your saved library, Chrome extension. No flashcards.
Gemini appNot listed on the help page
Pick it if: you want to find videos on a topic and ask about them in the same chat.
Can find YouTube videos and answer questions about them, including "summarize the first video". Needs sign-in and Keep Activity turned on.
YouTube AskNo payment requirement on the help page
Pick it if: you are already watching the video and want a quick free answer on the watch page.
Ask questions about the video you are watching, right on the watch page. Not every video has it, and Google says answers can be inaccurate.
NoteGPTPro from $9/month ($108/year); Unlimited from $19.92/month
Pick it if: you want a free plan that also handles videos without subtitles (up to 120 minutes on Pro).
Also does PDFs and audio. Has an AI quiz generator and a flashcard maker, chat with several models, Chrome and Edge extensions.
RecallPlus $10/month billed yearly; Max $38/month billed yearly
Pick it if: you want a long-term library with spaced-repetition quizzes.
A knowledge base for articles, videos, podcasts and PDFs. Chat, quizzes on a spaced-repetition schedule, browser extensions and iOS and Android apps.
Side by side
From each vendor's own pages on November 7, 2026. "Not confirmed" means the page we could read didn't say, not that the feature is missing.
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Videos without captions | Languages | Exports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NotebookLM (now Gemini Notebook) | Free Standard plan; higher limits with Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra (prices not on the plans page) | Yes. 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook | No. Only public YouTube videos with captions import, and only the transcript text | 80+ for the product; some video languages fail to import | Not confirmed |
| YouTLDR | $12/month (Pro) | No. Pro is required to process a new video; public transcript pages are free to read | Yes. Transcribes the audio when a video has no captions (up to 5 hours) | 125+ | Transcript as TXT, DOC, CSV, SRT or VTT; blog, LinkedIn, Twitter and PowerPoint drafts |
| Gemini app | Not listed on the help page | Not confirmed | Not documented | Not documented for YouTube | None documented |
| YouTube Ask | No payment requirement on the help page | Yes, for signed-in users 13+ in select countries | Not documented. Appears on select videos only | About 100 | None |
| NoteGPT | Pro from $9/month ($108/year); Unlimited from $19.92/month | Yes. Some core features are free (limits not listed on the pricing page) | Yes. Up to 120 minutes per video on Pro, 210 on Unlimited and Max | Says "any language"; no count published | Not confirmed |
| Recall | Plus $10/month billed yearly; Max $38/month billed yearly | Yes. 10 AI summaries a month | Not confirmed | "Multi-language support" on Plus; no count published | All your data as Markdown |
NotebookLM, Gemini and YouTube Ask are different tools
NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) is a notebook: you add sources, including captioned YouTube videos, and ask questions across them. Its free Standard plan allows 100 notebooks with 50 sources each.
The Gemini app can search YouTube and answer questions about a video, such as "summarize the first video". Google's help page says you must be signed in with Keep Activity on, and it does not document how Gemini handles videos without captions.
YouTube Ask sits on the watch page. Google says it appears on select videos, in select countries, in about 100 languages, and that answers can be inaccurate.
When NotebookLM is the better pick
- Your videos have captions. It is free.
- You want videos and your own documents in one notebook.
- You want flashcards or audio overviews. YouTLDR has neither.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best NotebookLM alternative for YouTube?
For videos NotebookLM won't import (no captions, brand new, unsupported language), YouTLDR transcribes the audio itself for $12/month. For a free quick answer on a captioned video, YouTube Ask or the Gemini app.
Why won't NotebookLM add my YouTube video?
Google's help page lists the rules: only public videos with captions, no videos without speech, videos uploaded in the last 72 hours may not be available, and some video languages are not supported.
Is NotebookLM now called Gemini Notebook?
Google's help center now uses the name Gemini Notebook, and notebooklm.google redirects to notebook.google.
Can YouTLDR answer questions across many videos like a notebook?
Yes. Save videos to your YouTLDR library and ask questions across them; answers cite the video title and timestamp.
How much does YouTLDR cost?
YouTLDR Pro is $12/month with up to 10 new transcripts and 10 summaries a day. Processing a new video requires Pro; there is no free plan. It has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Sources
- NotebookLM (now Gemini Notebook): Add sources (YouTube rules) (read November 7, 2026)
- NotebookLM (now Gemini Notebook): Plans and limits (read November 7, 2026)
- NotebookLM (now Gemini Notebook): About Gemini Notebook (read November 7, 2026)
- YouTLDR: YouTLDR pricing (read November 7, 2026)
- Gemini app: Gemini Apps Help: YouTube (read November 7, 2026)
- YouTube Ask: YouTube Help: Ask (read November 7, 2026)
- NoteGPT: NoteGPT pricing (read November 7, 2026)
- NoteGPT: NoteGPT home page FAQ (read November 7, 2026)
- Recall: Recall pricing (read November 7, 2026)
- Recall: Recall home page (read November 7, 2026)
Related
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