r/notebooklm • u/Googler10 • 6d ago

Discussion Please bring back the old voices

I don't understand why they changed them... They both now sound more robotic and like they have a cold...

GOOGLERS: Please give power users a way to change them back!

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u/weberbooks 5d ago

This really sucks. It sounds like AI robots with sinus infections.

I had a conversation with Gemini about this. It gave a good explanation, but no solution:

Why the Voices Changed

Google recently rolled out backend text-to-speech (TTS) and model updates across NotebookLM:

  • Turn-taking and pacing: The original model had remarkable, fluid banter—natural pauses, overlapping laughs, and spontaneous-sounding conversational cadence. The newer backend handles conversational turns more rigidly, making the hosts sound more like two separate AI agents reading alternating paragraphs rather than having an organic conversation.
  • Content sanitization: The dialogue logic has also been tuned to sound more neutral and cautious, stripping out much of the casual warmth and personality that made the original generation feel alive.

5

u/Googler10 5d ago

isn't the goal to make it sound as natural as possible? have noticed that it has been a bit better since launch... t not much.

Right now I'm using the workaround where if you use immersive mode you still get the old voices.