What is ASMR?..

Picture this, try to get yourself really close to a person’s mouth while he is eating, or may be just yourself eating in a quiet place alone and gently chewing the food in your mouth. Just imagine again, when you are sleeping on your bed someone is talking really softly or whispering next to you, it’s now raining very lightly, water dripping on your window, the room is really quite, at a point you hear someone is typing keyboard at the next door, and the clock is ticking out loud…..

Although it may sound like a scene in a scary movie, but all the sounds you hear in these scenarios, they now have a name, ASMR! You will now see people record and make videos about it, listen to it while they sleep, it’s happening and yes it’s true! Okay if it might sound weird to you, keep reading and you’ll find out what it is all about, and how did it happen..

1. So really what is ASMR? 

ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is probably one of the biggest trends on Youtube right now. Everyday there are new videos about ASMR, there are many Youtubers have even built a channel around this topic, and making really good money from their contents with millions of subscribers.

Yes you read that right, it’s million and not only a few of them have achieved this milestone within just a few years. So, what is ASMR? What makes it so fascinating, will you be triggered by ASMR? Why do I say so and what does it really mean?

According to the formal study of ASMR was published, there are noticeable differences in brain activation between people who are watching ASMR videos and those who are not. Brains areas like Nucleus Accumbens, mPFC and Insula tend to be more active when they are being triggered.

In simpler words, our brains will somehow secrete hormones that will make us feel great and relaxed, while we were watching ASMR videos and listening to these intimacy sounds. 

2. Why do people watch ASMR videos?

Not everyone experiences ASMR, some people just won’t be triggered, usually for those who say they dislike it are actually not experiencers. There are many reasons why people watching ASMR videos, some people find it just pleasurable to watch, and simply want someone to accompany them while they are eating;

Many people like listening at their bedtime, it helps them to relax, a solution for insomnia and helps them to sleep better; And you will be surprised that there are actually people using ASMR media for sexual stimulation, how do I know that? Well.. because I was hiding in your bedroom the other days and… ok just kidding! I did my research. There are articles discussed on this topic, I personally haven’t met anyone who has personal experience with it neither I was triggered by it, but if you are, there is nothing wrong about it too, everyone is different. 

Related Article: 3 Best Cheap Mics for ASMR

3. ASMR in music production

I first heard of this term ASMR only when I started listening to Billie Eilish’s songs a few years ago. The way she and her brother Finneas who is also happened to be her producer and a great singer-songwriter have done phenomenal jobs in the sound design for their songs, they really took it to the next level.

They creatively used all these intimate little sounds in Billie Eilish’s album, she even sang like she was whispering. I like her whispery flow too, I think it’s one of the biggest reasons that makes she stands out from the rest. And of course there’s no doubt with the remarkable songs she has written and being a great singer, I was happy to see her getting the Grammys! 7 of them! 

4. Why did China ban ASMR?

In China, things are a little bit different. There is a bottom line in almost everything and that was strictly regulated by the government. I’m not very surprised about it, you probably have seen some news about companies like facebook or google being banned by the Chinese government in the past too.

In 2018, China’s anti-pornography office has posted an announcement, telling all the video streaming platforms to take down all the ASMR videos. Since then you will hardly find any ASMR related videos on the Chinese internet again. For instance, I tried typing the term “ASMR” in these youtube-like Chinese video platforms before, there is literally zero result has shown up in the search page. I don’t know what your thought on this, but it’s kind of scary to me to just think about it. 

5. Is It Just A Hyped? What is the future of ASMR?

So up until this point I suppose you may get the general Idea of what is ASMR now. All in all it’s a pretty big trend, but how big is it? Is it just the beginning or most likely it’s gonna fade soon? Based on my observation from these youtube channels, and analysis with google trends as well as others marketing tools.

I would say the demand is there, and it’s still constantly growing. On average a channel with 1 million subscribers, 2 videos a week, is generally getting 300-500k views for each video, which is considered quite good, the audience engagement is still there. I think it will still be continue growing in the following years, I might be wrong, but it seems like it. 

What to do next?

I hope this article has given you a better insight into knowing what is ASMR. For a better experience I would highly recommend you to put your earphones on, or get a better pair of headphones. Leave a comment. I’d love to know your thoughts on this, suggestions for future topics that you wish to see are welcomed too.

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