How To Set Up Audio Conferencing For Microsoft Teams

Setting up Audio Conferencing for Microsoft Teams is one of the most impactful configurations an IT team can make for their organization. It ensures that every meeting is accessible to participants who need to join by phone, whether they are driving, in an area with poor internet, or using a device without the Teams client installed. This guide walks through the complete setup process from licensing through validation, based on the deployment methodology EPC Group has refined over 29 years of enterprise Microsoft consulting.

Planning Your Audio Conferencing Deployment

Before purchasing licenses or configuring settings, plan your deployment by answering these questions:

• Who needs it? - Only meeting organizers need Audio Conferencing licenses. Identify which users schedule external or large meetings that may require phone dial-in
• Which countries? - Determine where your dial-in participants are located. This drives which service numbers you need
• Toll vs. toll-free? - Toll-free numbers require Communication Credits (prepaid balance). Evaluate whether your organization needs toll-free access
• Existing provider? - If you are migrating from another audio conferencing provider, plan for number porting and user communication
• Compliance requirements? - Industries like healthcare and finance may require call recording, retention policies, or specific data residency configurations

Step 1: Purchase and Assign Licenses

If your organization is on Microsoft 365 E5, Audio Conferencing is already included. For all other plans, you need the Audio Conferencing add-on.

1. Go to Microsoft 365 admin center > Billing > Purchase services
2. Search for Audio Conferencing and complete the purchase for the number of organizers you identified
3. Navigate to Users > Active users, select each organizer, and assign the Audio Conferencing license
4. Ensure each user has a valid Usage location in their profile
5. If using toll-free, also purchase Communication Credits and enable auto-recharge

Step 2: Configure Conference Bridge Settings

The conference bridge is the backend system that handles dial-in calls. Configure it in the Teams admin center:

1. Navigate to Teams admin center > Meetings > Conference bridges
2. Click Bridge settings to configure global options:
   • Meeting entry/exit notifications - Choose between tones, names, or disabled
   • PIN length - Set the minimum PIN length (4-12 digits) for organizer authentication
   • Automatically send emails on configuration changes - Enable so users are notified when their bridge settings change
3. Review the list of phone numbers assigned to your bridge and set the appropriate default numbers

Step 3: Manage Phone Numbers

Microsoft automatically assigns default toll numbers based on your tenant's region. For enterprise deployments, you often need to customize this:

• Add new service numbers - Request numbers through the Teams admin center or the Phone Number Management portal for specific countries
• Port existing numbers - Transfer numbers from your current provider using a Letter of Authorization (LOA). Porting typically takes 2-4 weeks
• Assign per-user defaults - Override the global default by assigning specific toll and toll-free numbers to individual users under their Audio Conferencing settings
• Set the bridge default - The number shown first in meeting invitations for users without a per-user override

Step 4: Configure Meeting Policies

Meeting policies control the behavior of Audio Conferencing at the organizational and per-user level:

1. Go to Teams admin center > Meetings > Meeting policies
2. Edit the Global policy or create a custom policy
3. Configure these audio-specific settings:
   • Allow dial-in users to bypass the lobby - Recommended for trusted internal meetings
   • Allow meet-now in channels - Enables instant meetings with dial-in from channel conversations
   • Allow PSTN users to bypass the lobby - Control whether phone participants wait in lobby or are admitted automatically
4. Assign custom policies to specific user groups using PowerShell or the admin center

Step 5: Test, Validate, and Roll Out

1. Select 5-10 pilot users representing different locations and roles
2. Have each pilot user create a meeting and verify dial-in information appears in the invitation
3. Dial in from a phone to test audio quality, lobby behavior, and conference ID entry
4. Test toll-free numbers and confirm Communication Credits are consumed correctly
5. Test dial-out by having a meeting call an external phone number
6. Review the PSTN usage report in the Teams admin center to verify call logging
7. Communicate to the broader organization with instructions and a quick reference guide
8. Roll out licenses to all identified organizers

Why Choose EPC Group for Audio Conferencing Setup

EPC Group brings 29 years of enterprise Microsoft expertise to every Audio Conferencing deployment. Our consultants have migrated organizations from legacy conferencing providers like Cisco WebEx, Zoom Phone, and on-premises PBX systems to Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing, handling number porting, license optimization, and end-user communications.

• Full deployment management from planning through production validation
• Number porting and legacy provider decommission
• License optimization to avoid overspending
• Compliance-aligned configuration for HIPAA, SOC 2, and FedRAMP environments
• Post-deployment support and managed services

Frequently Asked Questions