> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://typecast.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Install and get started with the CLI, the Typecast command-line tool for generating AI speech.

Save one Typecast command, and you can make the same kind of audio again whenever you need it. Use the command yourself, keep it in a note, or hand it to an AI agent so it can generate speech, save files, and create captions with the same settings every time.

This is useful when you create content repeatedly and do not want to rebuild the same Typecast request from scratch. Learn one or two commands, then reuse them for drafts, narration, voice previews, subtitles, and agent-driven production tasks.

```bash theme={null}
cast "Hello, world!"
cast "Hello, world!" --voice-id tc_xxx --out hello.wav
cast "Hello, world." --out hello.wav --timestamps-out hello.srt
cast "I just got promoted!" --emotion smart
```

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Install the CLI" icon="download" href="/cli-reference/installation">
    Install with Homebrew or Go, then authenticate with your Typecast API key.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Generate speech" icon="volume-high" href="/cli-reference/synthesis">
    Convert text into playable audio or WAV/MP3 files with model, voice, and delivery controls.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create captions" icon="closed-captioning" href="/cli-reference/timestamps-captions">
    Generate timestamp alignment data, SRT, or WebVTT subtitles alongside audio.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Find voices" icon="microphone" href="/cli-reference/voices">
    List, preview, pick, randomize, or run voice tournaments directly from the command line.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Clone a voice" icon="user-plus" href="/cli-reference/voice-cloning">
    Create a temporary custom voice from a WAV or MP3 sample and use it with the CLI.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configure defaults" icon="gear" href="/cli-reference/configuration">
    Store defaults in config, environment variables, or flags depending on your workflow.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What you can repeat

| Workflow                   | Command                                                                                   |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Play speech immediately    | `cast "Hello, world!"`                                                                    |
| Save a WAV file            | `cast "Hello, world!" --out hello.wav`                                                    |
| Save an MP3 file           | `cast "Hello, world!" --out hello.mp3 --format mp3`                                       |
| Generate SRT captions      | `cast "Hello, world." --out hello.wav --timestamps-out hello.srt`                         |
| Generate WebVTT captions   | `cast "Hello, world." --out hello.wav --timestamps-out hello.vtt --timestamps-format vtt` |
| Use smart emotion          | `cast "I can't believe it!" --emotion smart`                                              |
| Pick a voice interactively | `cast voices pick`                                                                        |
| Clone a custom voice       | `cast voices clone sample.wav --name "My Clone"`                                          |
| Set a default voice        | `cast config set voice-id tc_xxx`                                                         |

<Info>
  The CLI requires a Typecast API key. Get one from the [Typecast API Console](https://typecast.ai/developers/api).
</Info>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick installation" icon="bolt-lightning" href="/cli-reference/installation">
    Set up the CLI and run your first synthesis command.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Recipes" icon="book-open" href="/cli-reference/recipes">
    Use the CLI in scripts, pipes, batch jobs, and content workflows.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>