Audio Conferencing in Microsoft Teams: A Comprehensive Guide

Note: In this blog, “organizer” refers to the user who creates and hosts the meeting in Microsoft Teams. Similarly, “participant” refers to the user who has been invited to the meeting.

This blog is only for scenarios where participants will be dialing in to the meetings. Dialing-out has its own blog.

Introduction

Audio conferencing in Microsoft Teams allows participants to join meetings using a phone call. This feature is particularly useful for participants who may not have access to the Teams app or a stable internet connection. All meeting invitations created by the organizer with an Audio Conferencing license will automatically include dial-in information (phone number and conference ID) for participants. Participants can join the meeting by dialing the provided phone number and entering the conference ID in the invitation they have received from the organizer.

Licensing Requirements

Starting from March 1, 2022, apart from Microsoft 365 E5 and Office 365 E5, there are no other subscriptions that include Audio Conferencing by default. For other plans, such as Microsoft 365 E1, E3, Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, Office 365 E1, E3, and Microsoft Teams Essentials, you would need to purchase the Audio Conferencing add-on separately.

Setting Up Audio Conferencing

1. Purchase the Audio Conferencing add-on license for the organizer if required and assign it. (Check the license requirements section)

   
   

2. When you assign the Audio Conferencing license to the organizer, Microsoft automatically assigns dial-in phone numbers to your organization. These numbers are typically shared service numbers, which means they can be used by multiple users within your organization. For example, John and Vivek both created a meeting in their Teams. Both meetings might have the same phone number but different conference IDs. This means John and Vivek are sharing the same numbers. Not to worry, John’s participants will not be able to join Vivek’s meeting because they have the conference ID of John’s meeting and not Vivek’s meeting.

   
   

3. Purchase Dedicated Phone Numbers (Optional)

If you prefer to have dedicated phone numbers, you can purchase and assign them through the Teams admin center. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Navigate to the Teams Admin Center https://admin.teams.microsoft.com/

2. Go to Voice > Phone numbers

3. Click + Add

4. Give your order a Name and description

5. Select your country or region from drop-down

6. Select either Dedicated conference bridge (Toll) or Dedicated conference bridge (Toll-free) based on your need.

   • If you select toll-free, you will be charged for every participant who calls, and the phone call will be free for participants.

   • If you select toll, you will not be charged, but participants will be charged for the call by their phone operator.

7. Enter Quantity and City

8. Click Next and complete the order wizard.

9. You can assign the number on the same previous page: Voice > Phone number.

Using Audio Conferencing

Schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams as you normally would. The meeting invitation will include dial-in information for participants.

Participants can join the meeting by dialing the provided phone number and entering the conference ID. This information is included in the meeting invitation.

As a meeting organizer, you can manage participants, mute/unmute attendees, and control other aspects of the meeting from the Teams app or the Teams admin center.

Conclusion

Audio conferencing in Microsoft Teams is a powerful feature that enhances the flexibility and accessibility of your meetings. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily set up and use audio conferencing, ensuring that all participants can join meetings regardless of their location or device. Make sure to review the licensing requirements to ensure compliance and take full advantage of this feature.