ADventures in Law

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Beginning July 1, streaming platforms serving California consumers will be subject to new restrictions on the volume of commercial advertisements. California’s <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB576" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SB 576</a> (signed into law on October 6, 2025) will prohibit ads from being transmitted on such platforms at a volume louder than that of the programming they accompany. Notably, the law does not provide for a private right of action.

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The law arrives at a time when the streaming ecosystem is undergoing a fundamental shift from primarily ad-free subscription models to increasingly ad-supported offerings.

While the application of ad volume requirements to streaming is new, the concept is not. The California law is modeled on – and explicitly references – requirements stemming from the federal <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-111publ311/pdf/PLAW-111publ311.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act</a> and <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/enforcement/areas/sound-volume-commercials-calm-act" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">associated Federal Communications Commission rules</a>, which have long imposed similar obligations on television broadcasters. Federal lawmakers have already explored extending the CALM Act to streaming services, but those efforts have stalled in Congress.  

By extending similar standards to streaming services, California is addressing what it views as a gap created by both the continued shift toward ad-supported streaming models and the absence, to date, of federal legislation extending the CALM Act to streaming platforms.

Notably, this is the first state law to apply ad volume requirements to streaming services. Whether other states follow remains to be seen, but for now, platforms operating in California should assess whether their ad insertion and audio normalization practices align with the new standard. In practice, these requirements are likely to necessitate closer coordination among brands, agencies, and streaming platforms to ensure that advertising and programming are delivered at consistent volume levels.

To borrow from – and slightly edit – a famous California lyric, the message is clear: California now wants “quiet on the stream.”

Quiet on the Stream: California Extends Ad Loudness Rules to Streaming Platforms