The present invention relates to a method for controlling communications for an online meeting. The method includes, at each of a plurality of user devices, receiving audio from one of a plurality of participants via a microphone, at least one processor coordinating transmission of the audio from each of the plurality of user devices to the other user devices via a communications system, the processors progressing through multiple stages for the online meeting where each stage is associated with audio configuration data, and at each stage, the at least one processor automatically muting audio received from one or more of the plurality of user devices in accordance with the audio configuration data associated with that stage such that the muted audio is not generated at the other user devices. Other systems and methods for controlling communications and managing online meetings are disclosed.