How Much Do ASMR Creators Actually Make?
If you have ever experienced a weird tingling sensation in your brain when watching a specific scene of a film or video on YouTube, then we have some news for you. First off, you are definitely in good company. Second, there is an actual name to the above described sensation. And finally, the people responsible for creating these stimulating videos are making huge chunks of change!
Of course, it was your own self who induced this sensational feeling, but the video that triggered the emotion didn't just appear out of thin air. And its creators are being handsomely rewarded for the effect. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, and can best be described as a "calming, pleasurable feeling often accompanied by a tingling sensation." Reactions on the same ASMR video will differ from person to person — though the most popular triggers for individuals are "whispers, white noise, lip smacking, [and] tapping on hard surfaces" (via HuffingtonPost).
It may be hard to believe that there are people making money for mimicking noises the mass public is also able to make, but it is true. And the amount of people searching for these videos is so large, it is almost disturbing. For example, ASMR YouTuber LifewithMak tallied in a whopping 12 million views for a video of herself snacking on whole chunks of honeycomb (via Dextero).
Top ASMRtists make millions
These videos and their makers (also known as ASMRtists) have reached influencer status, and some are making millions. The highest-earning ASMRtist is Jane ASMR, from South Korea, who boasts nearly 9 million followers and banks more than $500,000 per month. Other top earners in this — ahem, career — average about $6 million a year (via Dextero). Other examples of estimated earnings of an ASMR video include a car driving over plastic lighters earning almost $137,000. And when another ASMRtist recorded the sound of carving soap, they brought in an estimated $117,000 (per Online Mattress Review).
It's hard to believe that in historic pre-internet days, the calming and pleasurable sensation that is ASMR didn't even have a name, much less the potential to become a source of a profitable profession. There are a reported 2.3 million global Google searches for ASMR every month (via Netimperative). The following is growing. And as weird as this concept or some of these videos may sound, it's likely we will end up searching for a few in the future.