Motor-related signals in the auditory system for listening and learning

•Auditory cortex is suppressed during movement by local inhibition.•Motor-cortical corollary discharge signals suppress auditory cortex.•Sensory and motor regions maintain internal models of complex motor plans.•Sensory and motor inputs converge on error correction circuitry.

In the auditory system, corollary discharge signals are theorized to facilitate normal hearing and the learning of acoustic behaviors, including speech and music. Despite clear evidence of corollary discharge signals in the auditory cortex and their presumed importance for hearing and auditory-guided motor learning, the circuitry and function of corollary discharge signals in the auditory cortex are not well described. In this review, we focus on recent developments in the mouse and songbird that provide insights into the circuitry that transmits corollary discharge signals to the auditory system and the function of these signals in the context of hearing and vocal learning.