In this special issue of JSTA, the invited editors propose an approach to sound as a set of practices that make it a tool for building the world in politics, philosophy, geography, engineering, poetry, ecology, architecture, design and the arts. To this end, they seek articles by sound artists, musicians, performers, computer scientists, new media artists, researchers and thinkers from different origins and geographies, in order to build a comprehensive profile of sound, music and sound art in contemporary culture.