Home / Arts and Entertainment / California Cracks Down on Loud Streaming Ads
California Cracks Down on Loud Streaming Ads
27 Jun
Summary
- California bans louder ad audio than content on streaming platforms starting July 1.
- The new law aligns streaming services with broadcast TV ad loudness regulations.
- Major streaming companies and industry groups had opposed the legislation.
As of July 1, streaming platforms operating in California will be legally prohibited from playing advertisements at a volume louder than the accompanying video content. This new legislation, signed into law in October 2025, introduces a significant shift for digital entertainment providers.
The law aims to create parity between streaming services and traditional broadcast, cable, and satellite providers, which are already bound by the CALM Act for commercial loudness. Industry groups like the Motion Picture Association and the Streaming Innovation Alliance had opposed the bill, raising concerns about the technical complexities of managing ad loudness, especially with server-side ad insertion. These methods can lead to volume inconsistencies due to differing encoding pipelines.
Furthermore, streaming services must navigate the diverse range of devices used by consumers, from large televisions to small mobile phones. Implementing these loudness controls will require sophisticated integration of file-based and real-time processing into their ad insertion workflows. The FCC continues to receive numerous complaints regarding ad loudness from viewers of traditional media, underscoring the persistent nature of this issue.
