# Audio Conferencing Overview

Audio conferencing lets you pull extra people into a call the moment you need them. Instead of scheduling a separate meeting, you invite the participants you want by dialing their phone numbers directly from the conversation you already have open, and everyone joins the same audio conference.

Use this when a live call reaches a point where you need a third party involved, for example looping in a colleague to answer a question or bringing a supplier onto the line to confirm a detail.

:::note
An audio conference always starts from a call that is already connected, so there is nothing to set up or schedule ahead of time. The people you dial in can be internal extensions or any external phone number.
:::

## Participant limit

An audio conference supports up to **9** participants at a time, counting everyone on the call.

:::caution
Nine is a hard limit. Once the conference is full, you cannot add anyone else until a current participant leaves, so plan who needs to be on the call before you reach the cap.
:::

## What you can do

![Managing participants and controls in an audio conference](/images/pbx/audio-conference-highlights.png)

**Start a conference on the fly**

Spin up a conference in the middle of an active call. There is no need to hang up, step away from the current conversation, or be at your desk to get everyone talking.

**Add anyone you need**

Bring in whoever the discussion calls for. Participants can be teammates inside your organization or outside contacts such as customers or business partners.

**Stay in control of the meeting**

The controls you need are always within reach. Mute or unmute participants, add or remove people, and start or stop recording, each with a single click.

:::tip
Mute a participant when there is background noise on their line. This keeps the meeting clear without dropping them from the call, and you can unmute them again with one click when they need to speak.
:::

:::caution
Recording is a one-click toggle, but depending on where you and the participants are located, the law may require you to tell everyone that the call is being recorded before you start. Let participants know first to stay compliant.
:::