When most people fit insulation they do so to keep homes and other buildings warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Another benefit however is the additional soundproofing you can gain from certain types of insulating material.
The benefits are particularly felt if you live in the city where there will be a constant barrage of noise from traffic and so on. For example, a well-designed and insulated modern apartment building with will see a significant reduction in noise over older buildings that may not be insulated to the latest standards set in building regulations today.
There are of course different types of insulation and effective sound insulation that actually absorbs sound requires more specific materials and modifications fit for this purpose. Fitting thermal insulation alone will not eliminate problem noise and there are some types of insulation that don’t reduce noise at all such as reflective insulation which tends to be installed in attics underneath the roof.
Insulation that reduces noise comes in the form of material that is able to form a barrier between the source of noise and the interior living space. The vibrations that cause noise are absorbed by the insulating material and this creates the extra benefit of having insulation installed.
To gain the full benefits of sound insulation it is often necessary to insulate all areas where sound can be easily transmitted through walls ceilings and so on.