# Voice Cloning

Build a custom AI voice trained on your own audio samples. Match the voice of your service manager, your trainer, your CEO, or a brand persona, then drop it into any AVCodex voice agent.

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A cloned voice is the difference between an AI that sounds generic and one that sounds like your firm. A managed-services AV company can clone the voice of its lead programmer for a tier-1 troubleshooting line. A higher-ed AV team can clone the campus AV director for a classroom support hotline. AVCodex uses ElevenLabs Instant Voice Cloning. No training phase. Ready in seconds.

> **Warning:** Voice cloning requires a Studio plan or higher.

## How it works

1. Record or upload a short audio sample (1 to 2 minutes).
2. ElevenLabs analyzes vocal characteristics (pitch, timbre, prosody, accent).
3. A custom voice is generated instantly.
4. Select it as your voice agent's voice.

Cloned voices are shared across all agents in your AVCodex organization.

## Creating a custom voice

**1. Open voice settings**

Go to your agent's **Build** page and open the **Voice** card. Voice mode must be enabled.

**2. Add custom voice**

Find the **Custom Voices** section and click **Add Custom Voice**.

**3. Record or upload audio**

Choose one method.

**Browser recording** (recommended):
- Click Record and speak naturally for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Re-record if needed.

**File upload**:
- Upload a pre-recorded audio file.
- Supported formats: WAV, MP3, M4A, OGG, WebM, FLAC.
- Maximum file size: 50MB.

**4. Name and create**

Give your voice a memorable name ("Service Manager Rachel", "Programming Lead Danny", "Front Desk Persona"). Click **Create Voice**. The voice is available immediately.

**5. Select the voice**

In the voice selection dropdown, your custom voices appear at the top. Select one to use with the agent.

## Recording tips for best quality

The quality of the clone depends entirely on the quality of your sample.

### Duration

- **Optimal:** 1 to 2 minutes.
- **Too short** (under 30 seconds): may lack vocal variety.
- **Too long** (over 5 minutes): can introduce instability.
- The AI captures characteristics best from concise, focused samples.

### Environment

- Record in a quiet room with soft furnishings. Curtains and carpets reduce echo.
- Turn off fans, AC, and notifications.
- Close windows to block outside noise.
- The AI replicates everything it hears. Background noise becomes part of the voice. A treated voiceover booth or a small carpeted office is ideal. The rack room is not.

### Microphone technique

- Position the mic about 20cm away (two fists).
- Speak slightly off-axis to reduce plosives (hard P's and B's).
- Use a pop filter if you have one.
- Avoid breathing directly into the mic.
- A Shure MV7 or similar dynamic broadcast mic is a good baseline. The conference room ceiling array is not.

### Audio quality

- Peak levels: -6dB to -3dB. Loud parts must not clip.
- Avoid clipping and distortion at all costs. The AI cannot recover from it.
- Standard sample rate (44.1kHz or 48kHz) works well.

### Delivery

- Hold a consistent tone and energy throughout.
- Don't switch between animated and subdued delivery.
- Read with natural pacing. Not robotic, not theatrical.
- Use your own writing for a natural rhythm. A page from one of your SOPs or a section of a programming guide read aloud works well.

## Managing custom voices

- **Delete a voice.** Remove it from your organization's library at any time. This also removes it from ElevenLabs.
- **Multiple voices.** Create as many custom voices as your plan allows.
- **Cross-agent usage.** Every agent in the organization can use any custom voice.
- **Audio privacy.** Your recording is stored encrypted and never shared publicly.

## Troubleshooting

**Voice doesn't sound right?**
- Re-record with cleaner audio (less background noise, no clipping).
- Try a longer sample (aim for 1 to 2 minutes of natural speech).
- Hold consistent tone throughout the recording.

**Voice not appearing in selection?**
- Confirm creation completed successfully.
- Refresh the voice settings page.
- Verify you're on a Studio plan or higher.

**Upload failing?**
- Check file size (max 50MB).
- Verify the file format (WAV, MP3, M4A, OGG, WebM, FLAC).
- Try a different format or re-export the audio.

> **Note:** For voice agent configuration, see the Voice Agents guide.

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