Google Daily Listen: Listen To News In 5 Minutes - All You Need To Know

Google is testing a new AI tool called Daily Listen, which provides users with a five-minute audio summary of news and topics they might find interesting. This feature is designed as a personalized daily news bulletin, combining stories from the Discover feed and web searches into a short podcast-style format.

According to a statement shared by a Google spokesperson to Search Engine Land, Daily Listen is "a personalized AI-powered audio experience on the Google app on Android and iOS, where you can easily stay up to date on the topics you care about. If you’ve tried NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews, it’s kind of like getting a quick rundown of things to know, personalized for you!"

Although Google hasn’t officially announced the feature, it has shared key details with platforms like 9to5Google and has promoted it on social media. Engineers Simon Tokumine and Usama Bin Shafqat from Google Labs, the team responsible for experimental projects, have also discussed it online.

Google AI Feature: How Daily Listen Works

Daily Listen generates audio summaries based on users’ Discover feed and search history. It also provides:

• AI-generated transcripts for the audio.
• Accompanying cover art for the summary.

How to Access Daily Listen

The feature is available for Android and iOS users in the US. To enable it:

• Open the Google app.
• Tap the Search Labs icon (triangular beaker) in the top-left corner.
• Enable Daily Listen.
• Once enabled, the Daily Listen card will appear in the ‘Space carousel’ below the Google Search bar. Clicking it opens a player with options to play, pause, rewind, mute, and provide feedback.

Google:  AI Developments

In September, Google introduced NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews, an AI tool that converts documents into 10-minute podcasts with virtual ‘AI hosts’. Recently, Google upgraded this feature, allowing users to ‘call in’ to the podcast to ask questions, request clarifications, or seek additional information.

“It’s like having a personal tutor or guide who listens attentively and responds directly,” Google explained. These advancements are powered by Gemini 1.5 Pro and the experimental Gemini 2.0 Flash AI models.