Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR California has ordered streaming services to keep the volume down during commercial breaks.
The volume of an advertisement cannot exceed the volume of the primary video content being watched.
The law will go into effect on July 1, 2026.
Have you ever been startled by an overly loud advertisement on a streaming service? Those days will soon be over, if you live in California, at least. A new law will require commercials to keep the volume down on streaming services.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 576, introduced by Senator Thomas Umberg in February. The bill in question will regulate how loud an advertisement can be on streaming services, like Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and YouTube. Specifically, commercials will not be allowed to be louder than the primary video content being watched.
“We heard Californians loud and clear, and what’s clear is that they don’t want commercials at a volume any louder than the level at which they were previously enjoying a program,” Governor Newsom said. “By signing SB 576, California is dialing down this inconvenience across streaming platforms, which had previously not been subject to commercial volume regulations passed by Congress in 2010.”
This bill builds on the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act that was passed in 2010. Previously, the act only applied to broadcast television stations and cable operators. With this new bill, the law will now include streaming services, effective July 1, 2026.
... continue reading