> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://smallestai-ff1e543d.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Voice Cloning Best Practices
> Guidelines for recording reference audio and achieving high-quality voice clones.
High-quality reference audio is the single most important factor in clone quality. These guidelines cover recording environment, speaking style, multi-lingual cloning, and expressive control.
Clone a voice directly in the console. 5-15 seconds of audio, no code required.
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## Recording Reference Audio
### Environment
* Record in a quiet room with minimal background noise. Ambient noise, hiss, or rumble will be captured in the clone.
* Use a dedicated microphone when possible. MacBook and mobile device microphones are acceptable if positioned at an appropriate distance to avoid distortion.
* Avoid rooms with echo (large empty spaces, outdoor areas). Small treated rooms produce the best results.
* After recording, listen back to the audio before uploading. Verify it is free of interruptions, clipping, or background interference.
### Speaking Style
* Speak naturally in your normal conversational voice. The model captures timbre, accent, emotional tone, rhythm, and pacing automatically.
* Maintain a consistent pace throughout the recording. Avoid long pauses, as they can degrade clone quality.
* Do not exaggerate emotion unless a specific tone is the intended output (see [Expressive Cloning](#expressive-cloning) below).
### Audio Length
* Provide **5 to 15 seconds** of clean, continuous speech.
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## Multi-Lingual Voice Cloning
### Language Matching
For best results, record reference audio in the same language as your intended output. The model supports cross-lingual cloning (e.g., English reference audio used for Spanish output), but a language-matched reference will always produce higher fidelity.
| Scenario | Expected Quality |
| --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Reference and output in the same language | Best results. Highest phonetic accuracy. |
| Reference in a different language than output | Functional. Voice characteristics transfer, but the source accent is retained. |
### Accent Retention
When synthesizing in a different language than the reference audio, the original accent is preserved. A clone from a South Indian English speaker will retain that accent when generating Hindi or Tamil output. This is by design: the clone reproduces *your* voice, including accent characteristics.
If accent-neutral output is required for a specific language, provide reference audio recorded by a native speaker of that language.
### Language Group Constraints
Cloned voices follow the same language group routing rules as standard synthesis. See [Code-Switching](/v4.0.0/content/text-to-speech/model-cards/lightning-v3-1#code-switching) for details on Indic and Global group restrictions.
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## Expressive Cloning
The model captures emotional and prosodic characteristics from the reference audio. The tone, pace, and volume of the reference directly influence the synthesized output.
### Emotional Control
The emotion conveyed in the reference audio (e.g., calm, happy, angry) is reflected in the generated speech. To produce an angry-sounding clone, provide an angry reference. To produce a neutral clone, provide a neutral reference.
### Speed Control
The pace of the reference audio determines the output speed. A fast-paced reference produces faster delivery; a slower reference produces more measured output.
### Volume Control
The volume level in the reference audio carries over to the output. A soft-spoken reference produces quieter output; a louder, more energetic recording produces bolder output.
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## Reference Audio Examples
Audio samples are embedded as video due to platform constraints.
### Good Reference Audio
Clear, consistent tone with no background noise.
### Bad Reference Audio
**Background noise present.**
**Inconsistent speaking style.**
**Overlapping voices.**
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## Expressive Audio Examples
### Angry Tone
**Reference:**
**Output:**
### Whisper Tone
**Reference:**
**Output:**
### Fast-Paced Tone
**Reference:**
**Output:**