Fresh drop from r/PromptEngineering: Notestack, an open source research tool pitched as a more focused alternative to NotebookLM, just added an MCP server. The author says it improves on NotebookLM with better audio, more video editing options, and chat grounded in your source materials.
What’s new
The MCP server is the news. You can now attach Notestack to Claude and make things from inside the chat window, without bouncing between tabs.
The author lists these outputs:
- Mind constellations (mind maps)
- Audio overviews (podcast style)
- Slide decks
- Research reports
- Quizzes, plus “much more”
The twist
Most NotebookLM-style tools live in their own app, so your research sits in one place and your thinking sits in another. Here the tool plugs into the chat you already use. One commenter put it well: they’ve been wanting to pipe research into Claude without the usual copy-paste dance. That’s the whole pitch.
Mini-workflow
(I haven’t tested this, so check the setup details on the site)
- 📚 Go to notestack.ai and load up your source material.
- 🔌 Attach the Notestack MCP server to Claude.
- 💬 Ask Claude for what you need, like a research report or a slide deck, right in the conversation.
- 🎧 Ask for an audio overview or a quiz when you want to review the material another way.
Pro tips
- Start with one small, well-defined set of sources. Chat grounded in your sources works best when the sources are clean.
- Ask for a report first, then turn the same material into slides or audio. Same research, different format.
Worth knowing
The author says this is a young project. They mentioned launching it only a couple of days before this update. Treat it like an early build and test it on something low stakes before you rely on it for real work.
Call to action
If you do research for a living, or just hate copy-pasting, take Notestack for a spin at notestack.ai and see how the MCP hookup feels. Tell me what you build with it! 🏴☠
A Opensource research tool with a proper MCP server, NotebookLM alternative
by u/phicreative1997 in PromptEngineering