Auralism
Auralism, also known as acousticophilia or auditory kink, is a sexual fetish defined as sexual arousal or excitement caused by sound. This sound might be music, thunder, a voice, moans and growls, breathing, the crack of a whip, or the actual sounds of sex itself. In some cases, sound is simply a small additional turn-on, while for others it is a requirement to achieve sexual gratification.
Some people have even argued that auralism can be understood as a form of queerness. Seeing sound and music as sexual turn-ons shifts the focus away from more typical visual fetishes and opens the door to pleasure that isn’t tied to the physical body.
Origins of the Term
Auralism comes from the Latin "auris," which means “ear.” The word itself is much older than the kink meaning, and not every historical use is sexual. The term was initially used in the context of deaf education. For example, "Oralism and Auralism" was the title of a speech/deaf-education periodical published from 1922–1932.
The kink meaning appears to have emerged in online fetish and BDSM communities in the 2000s. The term "auralistic" first appeared on Urban Dictionary in 2006, defined as being especially interested in hearing sexual or sensational acts. The noun “auralism” appears there in 2008, defined as sexual arousal from sound, including music, voices, sex sounds, and listening to others having sex.
The term later entered academic discussion through music and queer studies scholar Jodie Taylor. Taylor refers to the sexual fetishization of music and sound as auralism in her 2012 article “Taking it in the Ear” and develops it further in her 2018 Oxford Handbook chapter “Sound Desires: Auralism and the Sexual Fetishisation of Music.” That chapter describes auralism as auditory fetishism and is based partly on research in online kink communities.
While exactly when the term auralism was coined isn't clear, there is a long history of people listening to dirty talk, moaning, phone sex, audio porn, music, and other sound-based forms of arousal. Taylor notes that phone sex services were available in the U.S. by the early 1980s. Audio porn became more widely available through CDs, podcasts, online radio, binaural recordings, and immersive audio erotica by the mid-1990s and 2000s.
Google Search data shows that online interest in the term didn't emerge until 2011. This coincides with the online, app-driven boom in audio erotica. By the late 2010s, online audio erotica platforms like Dipsea and Quinn arrived in a culture already used to podcasts and on-demand audio.
Auralism Statistics
- A survey of 990 people in the U.S. and Europe found that 90% of people said the right erotic talk from a partner aroused them.
- Dipsea's audio erotica app reported more than 5 million streams in 2024, while competitor Quinn's listeners grew by more than 400% annually between 2022 and 2024.
Why People Are Into It
There are few statistics on how common auralism is, but the rise in the popularity of audio erotica suggests that it's hardly a rare interest. People tend to be in to auralism for one or more of the following reasons:
Sensory Focus
Closing the eyes or being in darkness shifts attention to hearing, making every sound more vivid - and sexy.
Imagination
Without visual cues, the brain fills in the gaps, which can make the experience more immersive and personal.
Control and Submission
In BDSM, sound can be used to command, tease, or deny pleasure, making it a tool for power play.
Personal Triggers
Certain sounds can become powerful turn-ons based on associations. People are unique, and just about anything can spark sexual feelings in the right context.
Ways to Play: How to Enjoy Auralism
People enjoy this fetish in a number of ways depending on which sounds get them going. Here are a few different ideas.
Listen to Audio Erotica or Porn
For people who like the sounds of sex or just listening to a sexy voice, audio erotic content can be fun and exciting. Some people also love ASMR for this!
Phone Sex
Call up a partner, masturbate together with headphones, and focus on breathing, moans, and voice.
Use Lube
For those who are into wet sounds, covering your body (not just the sensitive bits) with lots of lube can lead to more sexy noises.
Talk Dirty
Dirty talk can be a good way to get those sexy sounds in your (or your partner's) ears. Be sure to communicate about what you like (and don't like) to hear first!
Related Terms
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