Over 5% of the world’s population, which amounts to nearly 500 million people, suffer from crippling hearing loss. By 2050, the World Health Organization has predicted that more than 900 million people will suffer from disabling hearing loss. With the number of people affected by hearing loss steadily increasing, it is crucial to continue to support research into the evolution of hearing loss, ways to prevent it and, ultimately, the discovery of new approaches for its treatment. The goal of this special Methods Collection is to share the expertise and knowledge of scientists, otolaryngologists, and hearing care professionals, on the methods of studying the development and mechanisms of damage to the inner ear, as well as protection techniques and tools aimed at inducing regeneration of cochlear hair cells. Ultimately, we believe that sharing of knowledge and techniques will increase our understanding on how to improve diagnostics, prognostics, treatment of deafness and expand the range of currently available technologies.