Welcome to Creators on the Rise, where—in partnership with global creator company Jellysmack—we find and profile breakout creators who are in the midst of extraordinary growth.
If you’ve been on YouTube–or TikTok, or Twitch, or basically anywhere on the internet–since 2018, chances are you’ve stumbled across at least one ASMR video.
ASMR isn’t a new thing, but it rose sharply in popularity four years ago–and that’s when Mina, aka Miss Mi, discovered it.
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At the time, she was working as a media consultant after graduating university with a degree in communications and media management and interning at TV and radio stations. It was a coworker who casually introduced her to ASMR. Just a little “Hey, check out this video!” moment that Mina says ended up changing her life.
The video was a mukbang (another genre that’s also had a rapid rise since 2018), and when Mina watched it, she experienced the classic ASMR Tingle for the first time.
Like many people, she didn’t recall having felt the sensation before, and had no idea what it was. Investigating led her to reading about ASMR, and that led her to looking it up on YouTube, where she found thousands of creators like Jocie B, ASMR Glow, and ASMR Darling making videos meant to “trigger” viewers’ tingles.
It wasn’t long before she knew: she had to try it herself.
Monthly view and subscriber counts from Gospel Stats.
Mina is from Germany, but when she started her channel in October 2019, she figured ASMR videos in English would perform better (and give her a chance to practice her English), so that’s what she made.
But, to her surprise, it was when she expanded to also creating videos in German that her channel really started to grow. That expansion, coupled with starting to upload short-form videos to YouTube Shorts, has helped her channel gain more than half a million subscribers in the last three months alone. At the same time, her monthly views have gone from between 5 and 8.5 million per month to over 60 million a month.
Check out our chat with her below.
Tubefilter: So first, tell us a little about you! Where are you from? What did you get up to before launching your channel?
Miss Mi: Hi Tubefilter, first of all THANKS for having me here! 🙂
I am Mina, aka Miss Mi, born in Germany and living in Hamburg (north of Germany) for eight years already. Before I started with ASMR on YouTube, I worked as a full-time media consultant in a media agency.
But to begin chronologically: After school, I studied communication and media management, had a fantastic study abroad in California at UCR, and had internships in TV and radio companies.
So I have always had a high affinity for media in general. So after my studies, I decided to start as a trainee in a media agency to become a professional media consultant. As a media consultant, I planned ad campaigns for different companies for four years. But then, in 2018, I discovered ASMR, which changed my life…
Tubefilter: How did you find out about ASMR? Are there other creators you liked to listen to or watch who inspired you with their content?
MM: My first experience with ASMR was during my job as a media consultant. My teammate showed me an ASMR video on YouTube. It was a “mukbang” and I was super hyped to hear such clear sound. So first impression: ASMR was absolutely fascinating. My mind was like, “How is this sound possible?!” “What is going on in my brain, on my head?!”
I went home after work, searched for ASMR on YouTube, and discovered the channels ASMR Glow and ASMR Darling at first. There are so many wonderful and inspiring ASMRtists on YouTube, but Jocie B was one of my biggest inspirations when I started my own channel.
Tubefilter: What made you want to launch your own YouTube channel? Did you have any plans or goals with it, or was it just supposed to be a hobby?
MM: During my full-time job, I always wanted to be in front of the camera as a hobby. So first, I started by acting part-time. I was getting very tired of being so dependent on many factors, like when, where, with who, and what topic while working as a newbie actress. Self-decision-making was nearly impossible during this time. It was a challenging journey for me, and I learned a lot during this time.
YouTube was THE perfect solution to be my own independent decision-maker. So after a good year knowing ASMR, I took matters into my own hands and started a YouTube channel with ASMR. It was like a perfect match, and at the right time. I started with my channel as a hobby because I was so “flashed” by the sounds that I wanted to try it by myself. Doing my own style of sounds and listening while doing it was such a great and relaxing experience for me. In hindsight, I can say it was that big thing I was always waiting for.
Tubfilter: How has your content changed over the past two years? Have you changed your approach to creating ASMR, or changed anything about your production schedule?
MM: When I started with ASMR in October 2019, my content was only in English because I used to watch ASMR in English and didn’t expect ASMR to be already well-known in Germany. Also, it was a great way for me to practice my English skills and get to know people worldwide.
After a few months and also because of my livestreams, the viewers got to know me personally. That’s why more and more viewers from Germany started watching my videos. After my first German ASMR video, I got a boost in viewers and subs from Germany, so I slowly changed my videos from English to German. Since the beginning of my channel, I have always stuck to a fixed schedule of videos every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and livestreams each Sunday.
Tubefilter: What does the average day look like for you, in terms of making content? How many hours per day are you working on videos?
MM: In the mornings, I always check all my messages and comments to my videos, start editing the video(s) I filmed the day before. Editing always takes two to three hours per video—especially the longer background ASMR videos take more hours to edit.
In the afternoon, I start brainstorming for the next couple of videos. Getting ready for a video and filming always takes a few hours too. And then I get prepared for the next on-air video at night, because I always love to reply to the first comments I get on my new videos. I do the video production and editing all by myself.
Tubefilter: Something I find really interesting about your channel is the fact that, as you mentioned, you do livestreams! Why do you stream? Do you feel like it’s a good way to connect with your audience?
MM: I really love ASMR livestreams with my community because it’s a perfect way to get in touch with them, get to know them regarding my upcoming content, new triggers, and they also have the chance to ask me some personal questions and just hang around and relax with me for a good hour.
Little fun fact from the beginning: Since I started, I have been calling my viewers “lovely,” so the communication is more personal in my videos, creating a safe place. And especially when I’m LIVE it gets familiar, and it’s like “talking” with my lovely friends.
Tubefilter: When did YouTube become a full-time thing for you?
MM: Since November 2021, creating ASMR videos has become my full-time job, and I cannot put into words how thankful and happy I am. I never thought my hobby would grow into such a big lovely community.
Tubefilter: Your channel has recently seen a big boost in views and subscribers. Do you know if there was a specific video that took off and helped boost your growth, or was it a rise across all your videos?
MM: Until the big boost, I had a steady rise with my videos; the beauty sleep and background ASMR videos especially helped my channel grow. However, since the new YouTube Shorts function began, I’ve posted some short videos. My “emoji challenges” (using a different trigger for each emoji) started to get hyped over time. That’s really impressive, and I was really shocked to see millions of views for some of my recent Shorts.
Tubefilter: How have things changed for you, personally and professionally, since your channel started taking off? Have you had any cool opportunities?
MM: When I started the channel, I connected with many different ASMR YouTubers worldwide and had some great opportunities like video collabs. Sometimes I get recognized by some of my lovely viewers on the street, which is definitely a big thing for me. I will probably never get used to this feeling when someone recognizes me.
Considering my setup or how I film has not really changed a lot in the last six months. By now, I can proudly say I have four different ASMR mics. But you know what—my absolute fave is still my 1st Yeti mic, and it feels kind of nostalgic to use it in most of my videos.
Regarding my space, I am so proud to have my own ASMR filming room since January (before that, I struggled to film beside the kitchen in the living room, really hard when you need absolute silence, lul). Special thanks to my boyfriend, because it was his office in our flat until then. I’ve definitely needed more space for all my triggers—I think I might have more than 500 triggers since I started oml :D.
When I go shopping, it’s always in my mind to get something new for my lovely community aka #MissMiFam hihi. 🙂
Tubefilter: Do you have any plans or goals for your channel for the rest of this year? Any projects you can share?
MM: Oh yes, absolutely! I have a great upcoming project that will be on air in the next couple of days. I’ve planned my first huge collaboration with many ASMRtists around the world, which I really love, and I am so proud to work with these lovely people for my new video. And perhaps there will probably be a boyfriend reveal very soon?! 😉
I mean, all in all, I can say the ASMR community is the most friendly, positive and supportive community I’ve ever met, which makes my heart full of joy, happiness and love. I am proud of the safe place I’ve created with my community together and I highly appreciate the growth.
Jellysmack is the global creator company that powers multi-platform social media growth for video creators, media companies, brands, celebrities, and its own online communities (Beauty Studio, Oh My Goal, Gamology, House of Bounce and more). The company’s proprietary technology optimizes, distributes, and promotes video content, resulting in meaningful audience growth and increased revenue in record time. Jellysmack is currently partnered with hundreds of talented creators including MrBeast, PewDiePie, Like Nastya, and Bailey Sarian. Looking to Go Bigger on social? Visit jellysmack.com.
