ASMR: More than just “Brushing a Microphone.”

For the past seven years, ASMR has been a constant staple in my YouTube Subscription tab. I first stumbled across ASMR when listening to Calming Music during a rather stressful night doing college assignments back in 2013. From there, I really did fall down the rabbit hole so to speak when it comes to ASMR videos. When I mention ASMR one of two responses usually happens

1. What is ASMR? 
2. Does that actually work for you, the tingling feeling?

Honestly, I smile at each of these questions because, regardless of the good, bad or indifferent responses, people are not afraid to ask questions about it. Maybe you have never even heard of ASMR and are going through hundreds of search pages to figure out what exactly it is. I am going to answer the 2 questions above and tell YOU a little about 8 of my favourite ASMRists!

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It is described as being a tingling sensation that begins on the scalp and moves to your lower back. Some people may even get it on their arms. Basically, it is like getting chills or goosebumps from someone playing with your hair or tracing letters/shapes on your back. ASRMists are YouTubers who make ASMR videos. Usually it is just them with a microphone and sometimes that may have some props; such as makeup brushes. It is a fairly niche area of YouTube but has been described as being ‘The BIGGEST YouTube trend you never heard of’. Many viewers watch ASMR to relax with the prime audience being night time viewers regardless of what time zone you are in. Originally, I watched ASMR videos to relax before trying to sleep or to help calm myself when experiencing spikes in my anxiety or when my worrying got a bit too much. Each ASMRist will tell you that ASMR should not be used instead of seeking medical advice when things get too much for you, so please listen to them. Now I use it to relax but mostly for the spectacular effort put into these videos by ASMRists. 

But does it actually work? The debate of whether a person is actually experiencing these ‘tingles’ or just using them as a calming/anxiety relief method is extremely topical. A Google search on the matter can show you that psychologists are even beginning to weigh in on the use of ASMR videos for people who suffer from sleeping issues, those who suffer from anxiety and those who just use it to relax/have a calming few moments before sleeping. For me, yes I experience the ‘tingling sensation’. The biggest thing you need to ask yourself when considering to watch an ASMR video is… To wear headphones/earphones or not to wear them; that is the question? Personal preference is always talked about here but I always suggest to use headphones/earphones where possible. That way you won’t miss a thing in the video and you are more likely to experience that ‘tingling sensation’ when wearing them.

There are many types of ASMR videos each being a sub-genre in their own right. These include tapping, crinkling, head massage, whispering, soft spoken and Role Plays. You could create a blog post dedicated to each of these types of videos among many more but, for the focus of this post, we are going to be looking at Role Play ASMR videos. These videos are character based and are primarily based or inspired by aspects of pop culture and popular jobs i.e: Superheros and Receptionists. The reason why I am focusing on this type of ASMR is that it’s the type of ASMR videos I prefer to watch. I am in awe at the amount of hours the ASMRists, who I will be mentioning below, spend on script writing/idea planning, prop collecting and making an outfit & makeup accuracy. Add all the high end production value to a relaxing video and I am hooked! I watch at least one ASMR video each night with the average being 2-3. Bear in mind on average each video is roughly 20-35 minutes long. 

The primary place to find ASMR videos is on YouTube with a growth in recent years of the use of other formats such as on Spotify and Amazon. While, apps have begun to pop up with the most popular being Zees which was co-created by one of the ASMRists on our list Gibi ASMR.

So, without further ado, let me introduce you to my favourite ASMRists….

Angelica 

The first YouTuber on the list is Angelica. She is by far the most comedic ASMRist I watch. She has a way of creating characters whose stories are interesting to watch and brings in an aspect of comedy. This results in her videos being relaxing to watch and usually contain one or two one liners that will have you laughing along; this is what keeps me coming back to her channel. Her first videos were posted three years ago and I have been watching her videos for roughly the same amount of time; three years. 
One Series Recommendation: Angelica’s ASMR Historical series. It is honestly a cut above the rest. Keep in mind she aims to entertain and relax her audience. There are currently 37 videos in the playlist. So, if this is your thing I hope you enjoy being transported from 1000AD all the way up to the 1990’s! My favourite one is the Medieval Nun just because of what I studied in university! Happy to report that Angelica keeps these as historically accurate as she can without them seeming boring!

One Stand Alone Video: ASMR ~ Karen expels the Evil Force From Your Room. It may be her most recent video but, I haven’t laughed from one of her videos like I did in so long! I won’t ruin it for anyone but, I will say this: Animal Crossing… you really are… something.

ASMR Weekly 

ASMR Weekly appeared on the YouTube scene back in 2016 and honestly he has changed the way big ASMR Collaboration projects have looked since he began making them! He is primarily known for his fandom based room and places ASMR videos but, don’t let that fool you. He is an ASMRist who loves to use a green screen and special effects; creating a magical and unforgettable experience for his viewers. I began to watch his videos in 2017 and I have never looked back. He is the only male ASMRist on my list and I am aware of this but, do you know why that is? ASMR Weekly makes his videos so incredible that I rarely watch any other male ASMRists videos consistently. One thing I adore about his video is the amount of effort he puts into them to create a magical watch every single time!
One Series Recommendation: One series I recommend highly by ASMR Weekly is his Collaboration Roleplay playlist. These vary from Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings for example and each of them is a minimum of 50 minutes long! The special effects, the storylines of original characters and ones we love are going to keep you in a constant state of awe at how each of these come together.

I should also mention that ASMR Weekly is known for his Hogwarts places and room series. Basically, it is a scene from the Common Room, for example, with sounds playing to relax the viewer.

One Stand Alone Video: Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron [ASMR] Harry Potter Inspired video. Mind you I adore all of his Harry Potter videos a lot.

CalmingEscape 

Next on our list is CalmingEscape ASMR. She has been making videos since 2012 but I did not start watching them until 2014. Since then her videos have been a constant in my watched section of YouTube. One aspect I adore of Calming Escape ASMR’s videos is the attention to detail with each character. Be it a more popular roleplay video such as Doctor Appointments or, one of her niche fandom role plays such as, Star Wars and Marvel; she always goes above and beyond to create something great! 
One Series Recommendation: One series Calming Escape ASMR is known by ASMR viewers is her incredible and unique Star Wars Videos

My favourite has to be her ‘Star Wars Travel Agent ASMR. It merges a travel agent and Star Wars Role play in such an incredible way! Get ready to be blown away by all of the facts about each planet from the series! An honorable mention has to go to CalmEscape ASMR as she takes part in Role Play month every year! She is one of only three on my list that takes part in this every year! Numerous videos in one month of role play ASMR? Yes please! 
One Stand Alone Video: Afterlife Secretary [ASMR] Beetlejuice Inspired. I come back to this video time and time again!

Gibi ASMR 

Gibi ASMR is probably one of the most recognizable names among ASMR viewers. As I stated above, she is one of the co creators of the Zees App. She began her YouTube career back in 2016 and since then has over 2 million subscribers. The reason I am mentioning her subscriber count is because she is the ASMRist on the list who has surpassed 1 million subscribers. I myself began to watch her videos from her fifth video post and I haven’t strayed since! One thing I adore about her Roleplays is her original characters. You’ll hear more about one of them in the series recommendation but Loreli is a close second!  
One Series to Recommend: Daisy Series! I am emotionally invested in Daisy’s story now. I won’t even begin to go into full details about her. All you need to know is Daisy is an original character of Gibi’s who has won the hearts of thousands of viewers. She has a different job each video, her story that we learn little by little in each video is insane! To date there are 25 Daisy videos and I really don’t want them to stop anytime soon!

One Stand Alone Video: For its entertainment and creativity factor it has to be [ASMR] Cupid’s Romantic Hotel Check In Roleplay. It is relaxing and fun!

Goodnight Moon

My newest ASMR find is Goodnight Moon. She has been making videos for YouTube for three years now but, I have only been watching her videos since March of this year; boy was I missing out! One aspect I love when it comes to a Goodnight Moon video is her attention to detail with props. Look past her amazingly detailed costumes and accents to truly appreciate the effort Goodnight Moon goes to; to make her videos. From vintage set designs look straight out of the 1920’s to old Fairytale looking stores filled to the brim with trinkets; Goodnight Moon leaves no surface of her videos bare! 

One Series Recommendation: The Babblebrooke Series. Think of a fairytale village away from the main events of the action during your favourite fairytale. That’s where I like to think Babblebroke is situated. 

One Stand Alone Video: ASMR 1920s Party Chatter. This is the first of Goodnight Moon’s videos I watched. I simply adored her storytelling ability and her attention to detail with her costume and; props.

VisualSounds1

VisualSounds1 began to make videos on YouTube almost nine years ago but I have only been watching her videos for six years. She is one of the most underrated ASMRists in my opinion. Like many ASMRist on the list she values producing high quality Role Plays for her viewers. I adore her original characters and eventhough I am terrified of scary movies 90% of the time; I always countdown to October each year for her Roleplay Month of a Spooky Series. 

One Series Recommendation: As stated above the Halloween Series VisualSounds1 does every year is the highlight of the Calendar Year. Each year is a different topic from gruesome fairy tales, American Horror Story inspired and Stephen King Inspired.

One Stand Alone Video: One video you need to watch by VisualSounds1 is Harley Quinn . It is the most realistic Harley Quinn you will ever meet! By far my favourite one I have ever watched!

WhispersUnicorn 

The First ASMRist that I watched and, to this day, will still go back and watch her videos. WhisperUnicorn doesn’t post as regularly as she used to but, don’t let that put you off her videos. Her voice will entice you to relax even on your worst evening! She has been making videos since 2012 and I’ve been watching her videos since 2013.
One Stand Alone Video: ASMR Role Play Jewelry Store – Soft Spoken and Gentle Movements. One of WhisperUnicorns many role plays but, by far my favourite of hers. To this day when I am having a bad night and can’t get to sleep I put this one on and it helps a lot.

WhiteRabbitASMR

The WhiteRabbitASMR is known by ASMR viewers as being a queen when it comes to her themed series Role Plays. What may have orginally have started out as one video quickly turns into a series of videos. She has done popular topics such as FRIENDS and 1930’s Detective Movies. She began to make videos in 2017 and I quickly found her channel; I’ve been a viewer since her third video.  

One Series Recommendation: The amazingness that started out as what we thought was one pretty spectacular character of an 80’s Seamstress turned into a fun series. The 80’S Series is a must watch! Grab popcorn and just binge watch this series! 

Another ASMRist that takes part in a month of themed videos. October is also WhiteRabbitsASMR’s Spooky Role Play  month.

One Stand Alone Video: ASMR I Twilight I Alice Welcomes You To The Family. The accent, look and mannerism is spot on. Just watch it! AMAZING!

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These are just some of my favourite ASMRists and there is a huge variety of ASMR videos available on to suit everyone. So, until next time: sit back, relax and enjoy