Exclusive: AmandineTheWolf ‘ASMR has changed a lot since I returned in 2016’ ...

AmandineTheWolf aka Amandine Leloup started making ASMR videos in 2012 – during ASMR’s incubation period. Since then, she’s seen the community flourish. Today, ASMR is prevalent in mainstream media, but can the commercialisation and sexualisation of ASMR be counter balanced by videos that go back to ASMR’s roots? Find out more…

Why do you make ASMR Videos? I started my first channel in Spring 2012 for 2 reasons:

1. I wanted to create videos in French (which did not exist at that moment)

2. I wanted to give back to people (like me) that needed to put a name on the tingly feelings that were there since childhood.

Who is your ASMR inspiration? The first videos I discovered in 2012 were Gentle Whispering, Sweetseductive ASMR, Thewaterwhispers and Christal Whispering.

My daily inspiration is life and suggestions from subscribers. ASMR has changed a lot since I returned in 2016.

Who were the last 5 ASMRtists you watched and why? Cheryl M ASMR (because her live ASMR videos are unique, different, spontaneous and she knows how to show respect and empathy to you. I love her soft spoken voice and themes - frog song etc. [Editor’s note: thanks Amandine that’s really sweet of you!]

The French Whisperer is one person I've known and been grateful to be in touch with since my old channel. He is a good friend and love his educational videos and deep soft-spoken voice.

ASMRctica: drawing maps, love his soft spoken voice and Swedish accent and the topics of his videos.

Let's find out ASMR: same reasons as above, except his accent is American and love science and physics.

Amuse ASMR: soft-spoken, tracing and other triggers she does, love her videos because they are all ASMR should be, so creative and not forced into technology and too much role playing.

What is the weirdest/funniest comment you’ve seen in your comments section? Requests for making foot fetish videos :)

What is your favourite trigger to do on camera? Soft spoken, anything educational (book topics, protecting animals, alternative therapies, story time sharing. I have the feeling to belong to a huge kind and non-judgemental group of supportive people and people sharing their stories is a lesson to learn together as well.

What do you dislike about ASMR? What are the challenges? I strongly dislike misconceptions and marketing (hidden commercial messages, sexual and other) and some trends, but I am subjective as I was there when this whispering phenomenon started.

For me the challenges are to not respond in an aggressive manner to trolls (sometimes this is too much. I had a bad experience on my old channel).

Demands in technology: I do not believe ASMR must be related to types of microphone etc.

I personally dislike binaural and loud sounds, but I must keep up and integrate/include people's triggers as much as it is comfortable and ok for me, I need to enjoy making videos or I won't make them at all!

Where do you think ASMR will be in the future? I always said that ASMR is related to empathy (compassion) centres in the brain. It is a researched topic (it has progressed a lot since its beginnings) so I see it as an alternative therapy (live events etc) hopefully in a positive manner, not just weird videos and selling stuff!

Compare your first video to your most recent video. What have you learned? What went wrong/right?

I guess my vision, experience, even using YouTube’s new setting, many things changed, for me, learning is a process, it is a volunteer work (totally) and nothing is wrong. Small imperfections are ok.

In my opinion and the most important thing is to find the right balance between sharing what I feel in ASMR and a way of responding to others' triggers and suggestions - we can't please everybody and it is not my purpose.

Amandine's first video after returning to YouTube. Her old channel was closed in 2014....

English version...

Most recent video...

Thanks for making the ASMR community a nurturing place AmandineTheWolf. xxx