# Live Group Sessions for Online Coaching: Software Guide

> How to run a weekly live group session for online clients: meeting or broadcast, Zoom link or built-in scheduling, the reminders to send, what to track, and which tools include live sessions, with prices checked October 2026.

*Author: Trainera Team  |  Published: 2026-10-12  |  Reading time: 8 min*

## What is the best way to run live group sessions for online clients?

Schedule one fixed weekly session, host it on a video tool such as Zoom or a YouTube live stream, and let your coaching software send the invite, the reminders and the attendance record so you are not pasting links by hand every week. A plain Zoom link is the cheapest way to start, but reminders and attendance then stay on you. Zoom's free Basic plan stops meetings at 40 minutes, so a full-length class needs Zoom Pro at $16.99 per user a month on monthly billing (checked October 2026).

The right setup depends on one question: do you need to see your clients on camera, or do they only need to see you?

## Do you need a meeting or a broadcast?

If you correct form during the session, you need a video meeting; if clients follow along with you, a broadcast is enough.

A video meeting (Zoom and similar tools) shows every participant, so you can watch a squat and call out a cue. A live stream on YouTube is one-to-many: clients watch you and can type in the live chat, but you do not see them. Small-group coaching with feedback fits a meeting. A follow-along mobility class, a Q&A or a weekly check-in talk fits a broadcast, and a broadcast does not slow down when more people join.

| Session type                                    | Format that fits                           | Why                                          |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| Small-group strength session with form feedback | Video meeting                              | You need to see each person move             |
| Follow-along mobility or conditioning class     | Live stream                                | Clients copy you; feedback is not the point  |
| Weekly Q&A or nutrition talk                    | Live stream, or a meeting for small groups | Questions come through chat either way       |
| Accountability call for a cohort                | Video meeting                              | Seeing each other is part of the value       |
| Challenge kickoff for a large group             | Live stream                                | Scales to many viewers without a meeting cap |

## Built-in live sessions or a Zoom link: what changes?

The video is the easy part; the admin around it decides whether people actually show up every week.

With a bare link, you send the link, the reminders and the "we missed you" message yourself, and you count who came. Software with scheduled live sessions does that work once: you set the session up, assign it, and clients see it where they already log workouts. Our guide to [sending client reminders by push, SMS, email or WhatsApp](/blogs/best-way-to-send-client-reminders-push-sms-email-whatsapp) covers which channel gets read.

| Task                    | Zoom link alone                             | Software with scheduled live sessions                               |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Share the link          | You paste it into chat or email each week   | Set once; clients find it in their app                              |
| Reminders               | You send them or rely on clients' calendars | Sent automatically before the session                               |
| Attendance              | You count who showed up                     | Recorded per client                                                 |
| Follow-up with no-shows | You notice and message manually             | The attendance record shows who missed, so you know whom to message |
| Cost to start           | Free for meetings up to 40 minutes          | Part of a paid plan                                                 |

## Which tools include live sessions, and what do they cost?

Live features sit in very different products: a meeting tool, course platforms, creator apps, coaching apps and studio software, each priced differently.

Everything below comes from the vendors' own pages, checked October 2026\. Prices can differ by region.

* **Zoom Workplace.** Basic is free with meetings up to 40 minutes and 100 participants. Pro costs $16.99 per user a month billed monthly, or $14.16 billed annually, with meetings up to 30 hours, 100 participants and 10 GB of cloud storage per user ([Zoom pricing](https://zoom.us/pricing)).
* **Thinkific Start.** $109 a month, or $82 billed annually, and it includes "unlimited Zoom sessions, bookable calendars, and attendance tracking". It fits when live calls sit next to a paid course ([Thinkific pricing](https://www.thinkific.com/pricing/)).
* **Playbook.** A platform for fitness creators with Live Stream among its features. There is no monthly fee; Playbook keeps 20% of net revenue ([Playbook](https://www.playbookapp.io/)).
* **My PT Hub.** Lists group bookings, classes and live streams among its headline features; Premium shows €59 a month for unlimited clients, and the displayed currency appears to depend on where you visit from ([My PT Hub pricing](https://www.mypthub.net/pricing/)).
* **Arketa Individual.** $49 a month billed annually, with livestream class management, plus a 3% transaction fee and Stripe's fees ([Arketa pricing](https://www.arketa.com/pricing)).
* **Glofox.** Studio software; its FAQ says you can "schedule, sell, and manage livestream or on-demand sessions with the same booking, payment, and reminder flows as in-person classes". Plans start at $99 a month and the exact price is a quote that depends on business type, locations and region ([Glofox FAQ](https://www.glofox.com/faq/)).

If your live sessions are classes in a physical studio that you also stream, studio software like Glofox is built for it. For outdoor and bootcamp groups, see our roundup of [bootcamp and group training software](/blogs/best-bootcamp-group-training-software).

## How do you set up a weekly live session people attend?

Pick one fixed slot, choose the format, lock down who can see it, and send two reminders.

1. **Pick one slot and keep it.** Same weekday, same time, for at least eight weeks. Moving it trains people to skip it. If your clients span time zones, state the time in theirs.
2. **Choose meeting or broadcast** using the table above. Do not run form feedback over a broadcast.
3. **Get the streaming account ready early.** YouTube asks you to verify your channel and have no live streaming restrictions in the past 90 days before you can stream ([YouTube Help: get started with live streaming](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2474026)). Do this a week before the first session, not an hour before.
4. **Set the visibility.** For a clients-only stream, unlisted is the usual choice. YouTube says unlisted videos "can be seen and shared by anyone with the link", so treat the link as semi-private ([YouTube Help: privacy settings](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177)).
5. **Send two reminders:** one the day before and one shortly before the start.
6. **Write down who came,** every week, and message anyone who missed twice in a row.

## What should you send before and after each session?

Short, specific messages that name the session, the time and one reason to come work better than generic "don't forget" notes.

| When                                    | Message you can send                                                                                                                                                |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Invite, a week before the first session | "Starting next Tuesday at 7pm: a 45-minute live mobility class every week, included in your coaching. You only need a mat. The link will be in your app."           |
| Day before                              | "Tomorrow at 7pm: live class, focus on hips and upper back. Bring a mat and a band if you have one."                                                                |
| Shortly before                          | "We go live in 15 minutes. Join from the link in your app."                                                                                                         |
| After a missed session                  | "Missed you tonight. The main thing we worked on was hip mobility for your squat depth. Want me to send the three drills?"                                          |
| After several missed sessions           | "I noticed Tuesday evenings have been hard to make lately. Would a different time work better, or should we swap the class for a short routine you do on your own?" |

## What should you track from live sessions?

Track attendance per client, not just the head count, because a client who stops coming to the group is often a client about to cancel.

| What to track                      | Why it matters                        | What to do with it                                       |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Attendance per session             | Shows whether the slot and topic work | Change the topic or time if it keeps falling for a month |
| Attendance per client over 4 weeks | An early sign a client is drifting    | Send a personal message, not a group reminder            |
| New clients at their first session | The first session sets the habit      | Greet them by name and follow up the next day            |
| Questions asked in chat            | Tells you what to teach next          | Turn repeat questions into a short lesson or post        |

For more on keeping clients past the first few months, see [client retention for coaches](/blogs/client-retention-for-coaches-keep-clients).

## Where Trainera fits

Trainera fits when your live sessions are part of 1:1 or group coaching and you want them scheduled, assigned, reminded and tracked in the same app as plans and check-ins.

On the trainer **Pro**, **Business** and **Enterprise** plans, you can schedule weekly live sessions on YouTube and assign them to clients, and Trainera sends join reminders and tracks attendance. The stream itself runs on YouTube, not as video inside the Trainera app. If you connect Google Calendar, scheduled 1:1 and group sessions are added to your calendar and the client gets an invite. Community (a members-only feed for your clients) is on Pro and up, which suits the conversation before and after a session.

Pro is $49.99 a month for up to 30 clients and Business is $99 for up to 75 clients, in US dollars on [trainera.fit/pricing](/pricing); prices differ by country. Both are flat plan prices, not per-client fees. To be clear about the limits: live sessions are not on Free or Starter, and they are a trainer feature, not part of Trainera's gym plans. If you need to see every participant on camera and coach form live, a video meeting tool such as Zoom fits that session better, and you can still deliver plans and check-ins in Trainera.

## Your live session setup in one list

* One fixed weekly slot, stated in your clients' time zone.
* Meeting for form feedback, broadcast for follow-along classes and Q&A.
* Streaming account verified and visibility set a week ahead.
* A reminder the day before and one shortly before the start.
* Attendance per client, and a personal message after two misses.

If you want to package sessions into a paid program, see our guides on [selling online courses as a personal trainer](/blogs/sell-online-courses-as-personal-trainer) and [collecting recurring payments without a website](/blogs/recurring-payments-personal-trainer-without-website).

_Want weekly live sessions with reminders and attendance next to your plans and check-ins? [See how Trainera works for online coaches](/platform)._

## FAQ

### Can I use Zoom for online group fitness classes?

Yes. Zoom is a good fit when you need to see participants and correct form. The free Basic plan ends meetings at 40 minutes, so longer classes need Pro, which was $16.99 per user a month on monthly billing when checked in October 2026.

### How many people can join a Zoom fitness class?

Zoom lists 100 participants per meeting on both the free Basic plan and Pro. For larger follow-along classes, a live stream scales better because viewers are not in a meeting.

### How do I stream a workout class on YouTube only for my clients?

Set the live stream to unlisted and share the link only with clients. YouTube says unlisted videos can be seen and shared by anyone with the link, so treat it as semi-private.

### Does Trainera have live classes?

On the trainer Pro, Business and Enterprise plans you can schedule weekly live sessions on YouTube, assign them to clients, and Trainera sends join reminders and tracks attendance. It is not native in-app streaming and not part of the gym plans.

### How do I get more clients to show up to live sessions?

Keep one fixed weekly slot, send a reminder the day before and one shortly before the start, and message anyone who missed twice in a row personally.

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Source: https://trainera.fit/blogs/live-group-sessions-online-coaching-software