Google Vids: Google's free AI tool that replaces your weekly presentations better than NotebookLM.
When you think of Google Workspace, core applications like Docs, Slides, or Sheets are usually the first names that come to mind. However, Google has expanded its workplace services in recent years, both within and outside of Workspace. The most popular application is NotebookLM , a research and learning tool that can also create podcast- style audio summaries or informative video summaries. It's one of the easiest ways to create AI videos on a topic, which is why many people use NotebookLM solely for creating video summaries. But if you're just trying to create videos or presentations for work, there's a better way.
Google Vids is an AI-powered tool designed solely for creating videos and presentations. Unlike NotebookLM's video summaries, which require creating a notebook and selecting sources, you can start creating videos in Vids with just a simple text prompt. You also have more detailed control over the theme, style, and format, and can create videos, voiceovers, and AI avatars. If you haven't tried Google Vids, you're missing out on one of the best ways to boost your productivity.
Start creating videos or presentations with a simple prompt.
Unlike NotebookLM, you don't need a notebook or power supply—just a prompt.
Google Vids is somewhat similar to Google Slides in that it offers default design styles, along with free, copyrighted video and audio content. It doesn't rely entirely on artificial intelligence , although that's a core part of the experience. You start using Google Vids by using the " Help me create " text field and typing "prompt". Google Vids is located at docs.google.com/videos , and that's where you can manage existing projects or start a new one. After clicking " Start a new video" , click " Storyboard" to use Gemini to describe the video you want to create.
There are several ways to improve the results of your Google Vids project. First, use the meta suggestion feature in your regular Gemini app to refine the detailed description of your video before importing it into Google Vids. Another tip is to provide the Vids with context stored in Workspace for better results. You can include documents, presentations, or spreadsheets in your prompt by tagging them with the @ symbol . For example, you might have meeting notes summarized in Gemini in Google Docs that can be uploaded to Vids to provide context.
There are many customization options after submitting the initial prompt. Gemini will then create a sample video timeline with up to 50 video and audio objects. You can edit it to your liking before the first video and presentation are created. You can then select and preview the style. Once you've finalized your timeline and video style, Google Vids will generate the template.
The first video drafts generated by Google Vids include an outline, sample script, media, and narration. The output isn't the kind of video you get from image generation models like Veo or Sora. Instead, the video draft is more like a presentation. It may include images, videos, and music, but these elements aren't guaranteed to be AI-generated. In fact, if you include links to Workspace files containing relevant media, Vids can extract them for use in your presentation.
Add narration, music, or AI avatar.
Enhance your videos and presentations with AI-powered multimedia content.
The real fun starts after you have your first video draft. Then you can begin customizing the video timeline, individual audio or video elements, and adding AI-generated elements . There's a tab for creating 8-second videos with Veo 3.1, custom AI avatars, Nano Banana images, and AI-powered voiceovers. If you don't want to use AI, you can use existing photos, images from the web, or upload your own content.
The draft video includes a sample script and AI-generated voiceover, but you can customize the script and spoken content to suit your presentation goals. There's also a built-in tool for screen recording or self-narrating the video using a teleprompter.
Individual slides will be fairly simple, consisting only of slide templates, titles, and sometimes images or videos. You need to add actual content, just like you would with a new Google Slides project or presentation.
In that way, Google Vids doesn't automate the entire process. It lets you focus on the important work—writing or structuring the presentation—while handling the tedious tasks like formatting, narration, or media searching. It's more of a productivity tool than a useless AI content creation gimmick, and that's a great thing.
Google Vids may be better than NotebookLM and Slides.
When it comes to creating engaging presentations or videos, Google Vids is number one.
There are many ways to create videos or presentations with AI in Google Workspace. You can use Gemini in Google Slides to create presentations from scratch, or create a notebook in NotebookLM to generate video overviews. Google Vids might be the best option because it's entirely focused on business and productivity applications. The goal is to create content that can be presented in a meeting room or used to solve problems. Sometimes, Vids uses AI to achieve that goal, but it doesn't rely on AI when there are better options.
Google Vids is a combination of a presentation creator, video editor, and AI generator. It can do it all, and that's part of the reason it's so great. The tool is completely free and incorporates some of Google's best AI models, including Gemini, Veo, and Nano Banana, making it more versatile than apps like Slides or NotebookLM.
