Starting July 1, streaming services will be legally required to play ads at the same volume as the content they accompany. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed bill SB 576 in October 2025 to stop the obnoxious practice of louder-than-normal advertisements.

This law brings parity with broadcast TV providers, which are governed by The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, requiring commercials to match average volume levels. However, it remains unclear how streaming services plan to comply and whether these adjustments will extend beyond California's borders.

Though some might see this as a victory for peace and quiet, others wonder if the volume of human conversation in public spaces may now soar to compensate. Either way, expect your headphones to thank us later.

Interestingly, Illinois is set to implement similar ad volume rules by July 1, 2027, under a separate bill passed this month. Will we see a domino effect? Time will tell—or at least, the noise level in our living rooms and bedrooms.