Streaming services have long been a familiar way for everyone to consume content. It was much more convenient than regular TV and cheaper than buying all the movies or TV series separately. Agree that paying for a subscription and then getting an unlimited access to all the content while your active subscription is quite convenient.
There are also cheaper or accessible ways to watch your favorite shows. However, then users have to deal with ads. For example, this is the situation for people who use Hulu. Many people complain that the commercials that interrupt the viewing of movies are usually much louder than the movie itself, which is very annoying and distracting. So many people are looking for ways to solve this situation.
How to regulate Hulu commercials’ volume
If you’re one of those people who uses streaming services all the time, you probably know that one of the best things about them is the complete control of the viewing experience.
You no longer have to flip through your cable or satellite channels hoping to find at least the last 30 minutes of a movie. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and others have opened up a wide range of viewing options, but unfortunately, there is one fundamental element of cable TV that has persisted into the streaming era. That element is advertising.
Sometimes ads can seem annoying. If you’re watching a movie at night at a low volume not to disturb others from a hard day’s work, suddenly there’s an ad. If the ads were silent or quiet, that would be fine, but they’re not. Advertisements are, for some reason, at a higher volume, and if you’re not prepared for them, they can scare you or wake up your family.
If you’re wondering why Hulu commercials are so loud, here is the answer, and here is how to fix this.
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Why are Hulu commercials so loud
Under the Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM), passed in 2010, advertisers are prohibited from increasing the volume of ads above the average channel volume. Despite this, most such ads are not regulated and can go as they please. In most cases, advertisers find a way around the law by reducing the volume in some parts of the ad and increasing it in others.
The point that most television commercials sound louder than the show you’re watching is that they want your attention. The sound is processed electronically so that the commercials are broadcast at a higher volume than soap operas. This can be very annoying to viewers because you have to turn down the volume or mute the sound every time a commercial comes on. The sound level on Hulu is about 20 dB higher than the shows.
How to fix loud commercials on Hulu
Hulu has said it has fixed the problem after numerous complaints about the loud sound, but users are still suffering from the problem. The development team is constantly working to fix the problem. Of course, there are other ways you can take action to adjust Hulu’s volume level. You can install various plug-ins that can automatically mute your device during commercials.
In addition, the FCC has some recommendations for viewers who experience volume spikes. In the case of excessively loud commercials, the FCC warns viewers to file a complaint at fcc.gov. To do this, you can follow these steps:
- First, go to the “Consumers” section and select the “Guides” option.
- After that, select “Loud Commercials.“
- Finally, at the bottom of the page, you will get the option to file a complaint.
In the text of your complaint, you will need to include basic information, such as the name of the advertiser or the advertised product, whether you are watching it on pay TV or a broadcast station. You also need to include the name of the program during which the commercial was aired and which broadcaster aired it.
How to get rid of commercials on Hulu using the Premium subscription
If you want to get rid of ads, you can sign up for the Hulu No Ads plan for $11.99. The No Ads plan is aptly named because it excludes most advertisements.
Hulu also has a Hulu + Live TV plan, allowing you to watch live programming on over 60 channels. This plan allows you to watch sports, local news, and everything offered on the regular Hulu plan for $5.99. Hulu + Live TV costs $54.99 per month, and Hulu ad-free + Live TV costs $69.99 per month. So by paying $6 extra, you get to watch a lot of content completely ad-free.
What about other advertisements
Also, Hulu and other services users may encounter various problems with pop-up ads or banners on pages that may interfere with and distract you. In this case, different ad blockers in your browser can help you.
It might be a good idea to install an ad blocker because it will help you get rid of various spam banners in addition to advertisements, the links which can be potentially dangerous for you. So it will be helpful for you to know how to disable ads on Hulu or other similar services.
What content can you find on Hulu?
Despite the various problems with ads on Hulu, it is still a very high-quality streaming service where you can find quite a lot of the most diverse content. Among these will be quite a few different movies and shows; Hulu’s library has thousands of hours of entertainment content.
There are network and cable TV hits like This Is Us, The Good Doctor, and Law and Order SVU. There are also hundreds of episodes of all kinds of TV shows, TV series, and various entertainment shows. Hulu has a very handy library with all the currently available programs on the service.
In addition to all of this, Hulu also produces its shows. Their original content includes shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Pen15, Shrill, and Marvel Runaways. So aside from all of this, there is also an extensive list of shows you can only find on Hulu.
Read also:
- How to add and watch Hulu on Samsung TV
- How to watch Hulu on Roku TV or Roku device
- How to watch Hulu on PS5
What Hulu’s subscription options are
Hulu has several subscription options: Hulu with ads, Hulu without ads, Hulu with ads + Live TV, and Hulu without ads + Live TV. In addition, Hulu can add to your service different add-ons. This means that you can add, for example, a subscription to HBO Max to your subscription to Hulu.
This is quite convenient and allows you to save money. So it would be really helpful to know more about the prices of the different Hulu plans and the add-ons you can add to them.
You don’t get ad free tv even with the add on. Hulu claims they don’t own the live tv streaming content and therefore can’t change the ability to skip commercials
Exactly whoever wrote this article obviously doesn’t know anything about Hulu ad-free TV
Yes, very annoying. I will cancel Hulu as well. This is ridiculous. Don’t fall asleep on a movie and a commercial comes on 🤣. SMH
Hmmm, it’s strange that only Hulu has this problem. But there is a fix that costs 10x more than the basic rate. No, I don’t see a problem here. People need to stop talking about leaving, and just leave, like I did today.
Yep I did
What happens is that your soundbar or speaker system may be configured to play the shows in 5.1, and then the commercials get downmixed in stereo and just blow you away when the transition happens, since the “average” output is the same. They can “prove” that their ads are not louder than the show this way. It’s actually ridiculous.
👍
I was expecting to read some way to fix this. You didn’t provide what you advertised.
Bingo!
I don’t get the loud commercials on every channel, just the ones we watch often. We are planning to leave Hulu because of this.
Not worth it for the content offered. If I forget to mute, the commercials wake the kids. How obnoxious is that.
I hate HULU because of the loud adds – and they also make sure that in order to hear the program you are watching the volume must be turned up… so every time an ad comes on we hit mute… I cut the cord for reasons like this and now HULU appears it is not the answer.
But if the upgrade doesn’t ‘fix’ the problem, why bother.
I’m leaving Hulu — only subscribed b/c of Handmaid’s Tale anyway.
This isn’t a solution. This is upgrade or deal with it. Alternatively you can file a complaint with the FCC that also won’t fix the problem!
Correct!
We are considering leaving as well. It’s not worth it to have to mess with volume when ads are on
We are filing a complaint and leaving HULU!!
Hulu plans are excessive and ads are LOUD!!!!
MUTE through commercials while potty break, snack break and if not back on time go back to where commercials end. Ha!
Hulu plans are excessive and ads are LOUD!!!!
I have the premuim plan and there are commercials in everything and they are super loud. We are considering leaving
So the only way to “fix” the illegally loud commercials is to get the premium package. GREAT
My thoughts exactly….
Doesn’t solve the problem! Commercials still come on and are LOUD!😤