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

# Build a voice agent

> Choose a complete voice-agent tutorial, a direct API starter, or a supported voice platform.

Rime provides the speech layer in a voice agent. A complete agent also needs audio transport, speech recognition, turn detection, and agent logic that decides what to say.

## Choose an implementation

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="LiveKit voice agent" icon="microphone-lines" href="/docs/quickstart-livekit">
    Build an end-to-end browser voice agent with audio transport, turn detection, speech recognition, agent logic, and Rime speech. This is the recommended complete tutorial.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Direct API starters" icon="code">
    Add a server-side Rime speech route and a browser voice interface to your application stack.

    * [Next.js](/docs/voice-agent-nextjs)
    * [Vite + React](/docs/voice-agent-vite)
    * [Express](/docs/voice-agent-express)
    * [Node.js](/docs/voice-agent-node)
    * [FastAPI](/docs/voice-agent-fastapi)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Voice platforms" icon="puzzle-piece">
    Use Rime through a framework or service that supplies transport, telephony, or agent orchestration.

    * [LiveKit](/docs/livekit)
    * [Pipecat](/docs/pipecat)
    * [Vapi](/docs/vapi)
    * [Daily](/docs/daily)
  </Card>

  <Card title="WebSocket API" icon="plug" href="/docs/websockets">
    Build directly on persistent synthesis connections when you need incremental text, word timestamps, context management, or interruption control.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## How the pieces fit

| Layer              | Responsibility                                                                 |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Audio transport    | Carries microphone input and synthesized audio between the user and the agent. |
| Speech recognition | Converts the user's audio into text for the agent.                             |
| Agent logic        | Uses application rules or a language model to decide what to say.              |
| Speech generation  | Sends the response text to Rime and returns natural audio to the user.         |

The LiveKit tutorial implements the complete path. The direct API pages are application starters: they demonstrate the Rime proxy and browser interface while leaving the production speech-recognition and agent-logic choices to your application.

<Warning>
  Keep `RIME_API_KEY` on the server. Browser clients should call your application server or connect through a server-side WebSocket bridge rather than authenticate with Rime directly.
</Warning>

## Design for live conversation

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Stream speech" icon="signal-stream" href="/docs/streaming">
    Start playback while the response is still being generated and choose an audio format for your transport.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Handle interruptions" icon="hand" href="/docs/websockets">
    Use timestamps, context IDs, segmentation, and clear operations to coordinate turns and barge-in.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reduce latency" icon="gauge-simple-max" href="/docs/latency">
    Measure time to first audio and tune the synthesis path for responsive conversations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Choose a voice" icon="waveform-lines" href="/docs/voices">
    Match a voice, model, and language to the agent's audience and role.
  </Card>
</Columns>