How to Add Instagram Reels and TikTok Videos to NotebookLM

A saved Reel or TikTok can contain a useful explanation, but its link is not always a usable NotebookLM source. Turn the spoken content into a transcript, check it, and upload the text yourself. This is a manual workflow, not a direct integration.

When a transcript helps

According to Google’s source guide, NotebookLM already supports audio files and public YouTube videos with captions. Ordinary website imports extract page text, not embedded video. If you already have a supported audio file or a captioned YouTube link, try importing it directly first. Transcription is useful for social videos or when you want to correct the text before using it as a source.

1. Start with an accessible public video

Copy the individual video link and open Instagram to Text or TikTok to Text. Paste the link and start transcription using the available account credits. Public links can still fail because of platform restrictions. If that happens, upload a local copy you are entitled to use through Video to Text.

2. Check the transcript against the recording

Open the completed transcript and replay unclear passages. Correct names, dates, numbers and technical terms; check the speaker labels where several people talk. A spoken claim is still the creator’s claim, not a verified fact. Transcription does not capture diagrams or text that only appears on screen, so add relevant visual context separately and label it as your own note.

3. Export a TXT file

After editing, export TXT from the existing transcript result page. Use a descriptive filename such as creator-topic-date.txt. Keep the original video URL and creator name in a separate note, or add a short source header to the exported text. This helps you trace quotations later. Exporting a file does not mean it has been imported into NotebookLM.

4. Add the file to NotebookLM

Open your notebook, choose the option to add a source, and upload the TXT file. Wait for processing, then check that the expected text appears in the source. Ask a specific question, such as “Which three steps does this creator recommend?” Compare the answer and citations with your transcript before reusing them. Interface labels and account limits may change; follow the current source guide if the controls differ.

If something goes wrong

• The video link is inaccessible: check that it points to a public individual video. Retry the link or use an available local copy. Private, removed or login-restricted content may not be retrievable.
• There is no speech: music, silence or on-screen captions alone may not produce a useful transcript. Add your own written description of the visual material instead.
• NotebookLM rejects the import: open the TXT locally and check that it contains readable text, then check the current file and source limits in Google’s guide. If it exceeds a limit, split it into clearly named sections and retry. Do not keep re-transcribing an already correct file to fix an import problem.

A small, repeatable workflow

Start with one video and verify one useful answer before processing a collection. Keep each creator or topic in a separate, clearly named source. You can also manually upload the checked TXT to Claude, which lists TXT among its supported file formats; this does not require a FastScribe integration.

Ready to prepare a source? Start with an Instagram Reel or a TikTok video, then review the text before exporting.