Create and Deploy AI Voice Agents with Natural Speech

This guide explains how to use Cartesia to build and launch high-quality voice agents that can handle calls, take orders, and respond to customer queries using realistic speech.

Who This Is For

• Businesses automating phone support without expanding staff
• Customer service teams scaling operations with AI
• Agencies testing voice solutions across industries
• Solo builders experimenting with voice-based automation

STEP 1: Set Up Cartesia

Visit cartesia.ai. On the homepage, you can preview realistic AI voices from the Sonic-3 release across different scenarios.

Click “Start for Free” to access the voice AI playground.

After signing in, you’ll land on the main dashboard.

Navigate to “Text-to-Speech” to test voices and evaluate quality. For best performance, use Sonic 3.0.

Key features include:

• Text-to-Speech
• Instant and Pro Voice Cloning
• Localization and voice library
• Pronunciation dictionary

STEP 2: Create Your Voice Agent

Scroll to “Voice Agents” and select “Text to Agent.”

This feature converts a written prompt into a functional voice assistant.

Describe the agent you want to build. For example, a pizza ordering assistant. Customize the prompt based on your business needs, such as customer support, appointment booking, or product inquiries.

STEP 3: Generate and Test the Agent

Once your prompt and voice are set, click “Generate.”

Cartesia will process the request and assign a voice and model.

When ready, test the agent using the dialer (e.g., +1 (515) 800-8360).

Evaluate:

• Response speed
• Accuracy of interactions
• Calculations (if applicable)
• Voice clarity and tone

If satisfied, select “Promote to Production” to receive a live phone number.

Refine prompts and logic as needed to improve performance.

STEP 4: Launch and Monitor

After deployment, share the phone number on your website or with customers.

Use the “Metrics” section to track:

• Call volume
• Duration
• Credit usage

Text-to-speech typically costs per character, while voice calls are billed per minute (around $0.06/min).

Pro Tip

Test multiple providers to compare results. Tools like Bland and Vapi are also widely used, but Cartesia stands out for its ease of setup and deployment speed.