While there are many things about streaming that can annoy subscribers, one of the most irritating bugbears is about to start a (hopefully quick) march into history. For those who watch their 
Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ or even YouTube videos with ads, there is nothing worst than having the windows rattled by extremely loud advertisements blasting out without warning. Now, California has taken steps to make the act of having ads that play at a louder volume than regular programming a thing of the past as of next year.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 576 to prohibit advertisements on streaming services from waking babies, scaring pets, and blowing eardrums with their advertisements, effectively extending the federal CALM Act’s long-standing TV ad-volume limits to internet platforms for the first time in the state. The law will come into effect from July 1, 2026, which allows streamers plenty of time to get their ad partners on board with the changes.
Signing the bill yesterday, Newsom said, “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.”
Will Quieter Ads Become the Norm?
According to the reports, many streamers are said to be already attempting to make their ads easier on the ears with the kind of strongarm tactics this bill uses. In the end, though, if one of the biggest states makes it law that streamers are not legally allowed to have loud adverts play alongside their shows and movies.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has objected to the bill, claiming that companies under its guidance have already “voluntarily” been working towards quieter ads, yet after many years, ear-busting adverts still exist. This alone suggests that the voluntary participation in such a strategy is not working as well as it should. Now, it looks like most streamers will be unable to avoid ensuring that ads meet the required decibel level for Californian audiences.
It doesn’t seem likely that streamers will want to have multiple versions of each ad hanging around, which would suggest that once the required volume level is achieved, it will be met across the board. By banning loud ads, California may have taken a first step to solving a problem that has been annoying viewers around the world for years. With more people than ever choosing “with ads” subscription packages than ever before, it could have come at just the right time.