Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in heartbeats.
— Joan Lowery Nixon
Without it, you wouldn’t be able to live. And yet, we hardly hear our own. Our heartbeat is a huge part of our lives – and so are the heartbeats of others.
That’s more than enough to explore this topic a bit more, especially because you guys, the Ambient Mixer users, seem to love including heartbeat sounds into your ambient noise creations.
Heartbeat ❤
What is a heartbeat exactly? Medically, it refers to the noises of a beating and working heart. To be more specific, these sounds are created by the heart valves as they snap shut and pump blood through your body.
A healthy human adult has two heart sounds that make up the heartbeat. The first is produced by the closing of the atrioventricular valves, the second one by the closing of the semilunar valves.
Did You Know The sounds are often described as "lub" and "dub".
Effects & Associations
On Ambient Mixer, you can find many mixes that are titled “Sleeping next to…” or similarly. It is no coincidence that many of these user-created atmospheres contain the sounds of heartbeats. To listen to your own heartbeat, you need a stethoscope. But someone else’s heartbeat can easily be heard when placing your ear against their chest. Thus, hearing someone else’s heartbeat immediately makes you feel less lonely. It gives the impression that someone is close, making you feel less lonely – even for just a moment.
Researchers of the Eindhoven University of Technology found out that listening to someone’s heartbeat can give you the same feeling as if you are looking into the same person’s eyes. This shows that both can likewise help against feeling lonely.
 Soothing Heartbeat |
 Sleeping On His Chest |
 Sleepy |
Another popular use for heartbeat sounds is building up suspense. When you are shocked or frightened, haven’t you too felt your heartbeat against your throat? Or at least read expressions like these in novels? Some of our users used this phenomenon to incorporate it into suspenseful or horror atmospheres. It draws you in as a listener, helps you to step into the hunted or haunted person in the mix.
 Cinema Horror |
 In The Forest |
 The Catacombs |
