Why Women Prefer Audio Erotica Over Visual Porn

Aimee first discovered audio erotica after realizing "normal" porn was no longer satisfying her.

"I was looking at these beautiful, perfect women and it was all very polished," said the 30-year-old native of London who requested her last name be withheld. "I couldn't picture myself in that scenario."

She found what she was missing in audio erotica—or pornographic recordings—where voice actors tell stories that describe sexual activity in full detail. The medium is on the rise as the preferred method for how women consume erotic content.

Fans can discover this type of content for free on TikTok and Reddit, where whole groups are dedicated to sharing clips. A new crop of apps, such as Dipsea, Quinn, &Jane and Ferly, has emerged in the past few years, offering recordings that specifically cater to female pleasure.

This trend has been a welcome change for women like Aimee who find visual porn too focused on the women's looks and the male orgasm. With audio, women are easily able to imagine themselves as part of a story and actually feel as if their pleasure is important.

Audio erotica often includes an emotional element, too. There's ample description of foreplay, which is generally lacking in the visual medium. The story element of the audio format permits women to get aroused slowly and fully.

"I think this is true for a lot of women—we need that buildup," Aimee explained. "The first half of a recording is spent just getting you to a point of arousal."

Some recordings even include "aftercare" (cuddles and affectionate pillow talk) for listeners to enjoy post-climax.

These are some of the reasons women have responded so strongly to the audio porn medium. It's become so well-liked that female fans follow particular voice actors and support their OnlyFans and Patreon sites. It's doubtful the popularity of the voice-recorded format will wane any time soon. On the contrary, it will likely continue to grow, as investors have poured money into several apps dedicated to the format in recent years, signaling its upward trajectory.

'Hit me like a train'

Stephanie Thomas was having trouble reaching orgasm when she discovered audio erotica through a male porn star's OnlyFans page to which she subscribed.

"The first audio I listened to hit me like a train," said Thomas, who lives in Mobile, Alabama. "To feel the longing of a man who didn't know me, the absolute excitement of him saying all the things he wanted to do to 'me' with such passion made me want to touch myself."

Thomas said she listened to the recording over and over again.

"I had a very powerful orgasm for the first time in a long time," she said.

Not only did audio erotica help Thomas reignite her libido, it also enabled her to work through some of her sexual trauma.

"I'd had a traumatic experience with a boyfriend with anal sex," Thomas said. "He continued to have it with me although I was uncomfortable during the act and told him so."

Thomas said listening to erotic audio that discusses the pleasures of anal sex encouraged her to experiment with butt plugs.

"The fact that I am able to enjoy anal activities on my own has opened the door for me to reconsider trying anal sex again in the future, but only with a partner who will listen," she said.

'Normal' visual porn isn't targeted at women

Brande also stumbled upon audio erotica after finding visual porn was no longer exciting to her.

"It was always the same repetitive formula," said the 38-year-old from Rumford, Rhode Island, who also preferred to withhold her last name. "The focus of the camera is always on the visual appeal of the actress for the male gaze. The end goal is the male actor's orgasm with very little regard for the actress's enjoyment."

Brande first discovered audio erotica on a popular visual porn site. A suggested video featured just a static image with audio playing.

"I found that listening to this audio, my own imagination excited me better than all the other videos I'd been watching," Brande said.

She felt far more turned on by listening to this erotic audio track, and it prompted her to branch out in search of other erotic stories. She explained that through audio porn, she has begun to feel more confident and comfortable in her own body.

"The visual aspect of 'normal' porn really impacted how I see myself," Brande said. "I was no longer comparing my body to the woman I saw on a screen. Instead, I could be that woman."

A personalized experience

A male voice actor who goes by the stage name of Nowhere Eternity explained that the ability to personalize the recordings is one of the aspects that makes them so popular among women.

"You are the person in each story," said the 38-year-old actor from Boston who's been creating this content for seven years. "Those fine details that can't be eliminated from visual porn are easily avoided in audio. Literally, anyone can hit play and imagine, with very little effort, that they are our partner."

For Brande, it's not just imagining she's part of the story that's exciting for her. Part of the appeal is that these characters are portrayed as "the ideal partner."

"Erotic audio voice actors are creating characters for you to connect to," she said. "It's very easy to use audio as a way of connecting with someone on an intimate level when you're alone [and] to experience those emotions that you may be lacking in real life."

Nowhere Eternity added that an aspect of the allure of audio erotica is all the praise included in the format.

"Some of these audios are so full of care and affection, things a lot of women, unfortunately, don't get or don't get enough of in real life," he said.

These recordings are varied and explore just about every kink, trope and sexual scenario in a positive manner, making it likely that the format will become more popular in the coming years, the actor added.

"Erotic audio is only bound by how far the imagination can stretch," he said.