It’s no surprise that porn consumption went up this year, as much of the world’s population was confronted by a whole lot more time at home. From OnlyFans subscriptions to porn pay site sign-ups to casual porn streaming viewership, 2020 was a year where many of us spent a lot of time alone with our screens. And it appears that even folks who aren’t as comfortable with standard video porn got in on the erotic online action.

Enter Dipsea, an audio-only platform for spoken-word erotica. Or, in other words, audio porn. The company launched in 2018, but only launched its web app at the beginning of 2020—and they were just in time to become a source of audio porn for millions.

When the world went into lockdown early this year, Dipsea was ready. In a statement about their year, the company said that in March, they unlocked their entire library of Wellness content to help listeners connect to their bodies during a particularly stressful time.  “Pleasure is usually the first thing overlooked in moments of crisis,” they wrote. “But pleasure is an important way to self-soothe, reconnect mind and body, and remember that you are worthy of joy.”

And they were really onto something. In the following months—during lockdown and beyond—Dipsea saw an explosion in usage. “Over the course of the year, listenership increased over 80%, culminating in an incredible 37.3 million listening minutes,” and coming from 155 countries around the world and in all 50 states here in America. 

Different regions developed distinct tastes as the year went on. For instance, folks in Boston were particularly drawn to a piece called “Lecture Me” that turned on the academics of that Ivy League town. Florida listeners went for “Salty,” an ocean-themed experience. And in England, listeners self-soothed with “Extra Hot,” taking their love of tea to new levels.

Dipsea users apparently were missing interaction with friends and coworkers this year, too. “It wasn’t a surprise that in a year where people spent so much time apart, that Friends Become More, Coworker, and Threesome were the most searched terms in the app,” they wrote in their statement. “Everyone was missing those little moments of connection: stolen glances, slipping past someone in a tight hallway, eye contact across the bar.” 

It’s a peculiarly 2020 tale that an app for such a new and specific type of erotic media—audio porn—could be so successful during such a difficult time. Here at YNOT, we’re just glad that folks have lots of options available to help them get off in whatever way works best for them.