This chapter, takes a broad look at insect acoustic communication, by including near-field and far-field sound, as well as substrate vibration, as signals. These mechanical disturbances differ greatly in their physical properties—they propagate in their natural environments over distances that can span from a few millimetres up to several hundred metres. Therefore, background information is provided to understand how the insect sound-emitting systems for the different signals work and in which behavioral contexts they are used. Evidence is also provided to describe the substantial changes signals undergo on their way to receivers, the effects of background noise on communication and how unintended receivers may represent costs in this system. Finally, a short overview of the structure and evolution of the tremendous diversity of sensory receptors is presented.