California Enforces Volume Parity for Streaming Ads Under New Law

California viewers frustrated by jarringly loud streaming commercials are set to receive relief as a new state law takes effect. Beginning July 1, streaming platforms serving California consumers are prohibited from running advertisements at a volume higher than the programming they interrupt.

The legislation, Senate Bill 576, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom last October. It extends the principles of the federal Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act of 2010—which has long governed broadcast and cable television—to the rapidly expanding streaming sector.

A person uses a remote control while browsing streaming services, as California bars platforms from playing commercials louder than the programming they interrupt. (iStock)

Newsom’s office pointed to the governor’s October 2025 signing announcement, in which he stated, “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.” He added that the law addresses an “inconvenience across streaming platforms, which had previously not been subject to commercial volume regulations passed by Congress in 2010.”

The Los Angeles skyline is seen here. California’s new streaming-ad volume law will apply to platforms serving viewers in the state beginning July 1, 2026. (iStock)

The bill was authored by state Senator Tom Umberg, a Democrat, who framed the measure as a quality-of-life issue for households. “This bill was inspired by baby Samantha and every exhausted parent who’s finally gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a blaring streaming ad undo all that hard work,” Umberg said. “SB 576 brings some much-needed peace and quiet to California households by making sure streaming ads aren’t louder than the shows we actually want to watch.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an event on March 15, 2026. Newsom signed a bill last year requiring streaming services to keep ad volume in line with the shows, movies and other programming they accompany. (Julia Beverly/WireImage / Getty Images)

The regulation arrives as major streaming services increasingly rely on ad-supported subscription tiers to drive growth and advertising revenue. Industry groups, including the Motion Picture Association and the Streaming Innovation Alliance, opposed the bill, contending that many platforms were already developing technical solutions to normalize audio levels independently. Representatives for those organizations did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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