An audio conferencing client application provides a user interface that facilitates turn taking in both moderated and unmoderated audio conferences. The user interface provides each conference participant with the ability to set an icon that indicates a request to speak. This request state is propagated to the audio conferencing clients of all other participants, where each such audio conferencing client then displays a request icon associated with the requesting participant. Where multiple participants request to speak, their respective request icons can be numbered. In a moderated conference, a moderator can control which participants can speak, an make that decision in view of the outstanding requests and their order. The request icons can be dismissed either automatically or manually.