TV Commercials Too Loud? How to Make TV Ads Quieter

Why TV Commercials Seem Too Loud

The transition from a quiet movie scene or a talk show to a commercial break is a familiar moment of flinching for many viewers. The remote control moves into hand, the volume is turned down. But where does this phenomenon come from? Why is it so? Surprisingly, it has less to do with the pure volume of the broadcast than often assumed.

The Volume Jump at the Start of a Commercial Break

Commercials seem particularly loud because their sound abruptly contrasts with the surrounding program. A quiet dialogue scene with soft music and natural speaking pace transitions within fractions of a second into a commercial where voice and other sound effects are simultaneously at full level. This sudden contrast makes the commercial appear subjectively much louder than the program before it. Studies on acoustic perception even show that the human ear is particularly sensitive to such rapid changes in loudness. The reason for this is simple, being evolutionarily determined and interpreted as a warning signal.

Attention as the Business Model of the Advertising Industry

Behind the prominent sound design lies a clear logic of the advertising industry. A commercial typically has only ten to thirty seconds to convey a message and remain memorable. To ensure a viewer perceives the commercial, the audio signal is designed to sound maximally present. Voice, music, and effects are mixed tightly together, and quiet moments are largely avoided. This compression is intentional and follows precise logic, even if many viewers find it unpleasant and intrusive.

Why Commercials Are Particularly Annoying in the Evening

In the evening or just before falling asleep, the TV is usually operated at a low base volume. This is precisely when the jump to the commercial break is most noticeable. The quiet program requires a moderate volume setting for dialogues to remain intelligible. If a densely mixed commercial then starts immediately, it appears almost aggressive in relation to the base volume. The result is that one is startled and sometimes woken from a light sleep. The relaxed nap during the TV evening is abruptly ended. Interestingly, many complaints about overly loud TV commercials have precisely this evening context, rather than the absolute volume level.

Volume, Loudness, and Dynamics Compared

To understand how loud commercials come about, three terms and topics must be distinguished: volume, loudness, and dynamics. They describe different aspects of sound and together explain why a technically correctly calibrated commercial can still be perceived as too loud.

Volume and Loudness

Volume is what can be adjusted with the volume control on the TV. It describes a technical level, measured in decibels or by the peak level of the signal. Loudness, on the other hand, describes how loud a sound is actually perceived by the human ear. Two audio signals can have the same peak level and still seem different in loudness, because the ear does not evaluate the highest point of a signal, but rather the average energy content over time. (The international recommendation ITU-R BS.1770 precisely describes such methods for measuring program loudness.)

How Dynamics Change the Listening Experience

Dynamics describe the difference between quiet and loud parts of an audio signal. A classical concert, for example, has a wide dynamic range because there are many level gradations between the individual instruments and playing styles. Commercials, however, have a very low dynamic range. Through the use of compressors and limiters, quiet parts are boosted and loud peaks are sometimes limited, so that the entire commercial is at a high, consistent level. The ear perceives such a compressed sound as significantly more present, even if the peak level is identical to the film before it.

Film Dynamics and Advertising

Cinema films, high-quality series, and concert broadcasts are often mixed with a very dynamic range. An emotional dialogue scene, however, is intentionally kept quiet so that a subsequent intense moment can unfold its effect. In such a mix, the medium to quiet soundscape dominates, leading to a moderate average loudness. Advertising follows the opposite logic. It is optimized for maximum intelligibility and attention in a short time, with barely audible pauses. This is precisely why the average loudness of an advertisement appears significantly higher than that of a film, even if both are broadcast at the same technical level.

Regulations and Complaints Regarding Overly Loud Commercials

Even though there are now so-called technical limits, subjective perception on the couch determines whether advertising is considered annoying and too loud.

What Rules Broadcasters and Platforms Should Follow

For traditional television in Europe, EBU Recommendation R 128 is an important technical standard that specifies uniform program loudness. The goal is for news, films, series, and commercials to be broadcast at the same level. However, the recommendation is not a binding law; its implementation is at the discretion of the broadcasters. These rules usually do not apply to streaming, because platforms, apps, and advertising networks each use their own loudness logic. Therefore, the recommendation does not provide a real solution to the problem. Even if a commercial technically remains within the norm, its dense mixing can still make it seem significantly louder than the surrounding program.

Complaint Options Exist

If a commercial block consistently seems significantly louder than the surrounding program, a complaint can be filed. In Germany, the state media authorities are responsible for advertising on radio, television, and the internet. A complaint should specify the broadcaster, date, time, program, and affected commercial block as precisely as possible. For streaming content, the app name, device, and, if possible, a screenshot or video recording should be included.

TV Settings Against Loud Commercials

External TV solutions are often the best quality option. However, before considering external solutions, it can be worthwhile to check the TV’s audio menu. Many devices come with functions that cushion volume jumps between programs and commercials. These settings can actually be activated in just a few minutes.

Night Mode, Auto Volume, and Volume Leveling

The most important setting against sudden volume jumps is called, depending on the manufacturer, Night Mode, Auto Volume, Volume Leveling, or Adaptive Sound. Behind all these names lies a similar logic. The audio signal is continuously analyzed, very loud peaks are limited, and very quiet passages can be moderately boosted. The result is a (hopefully) more consistent loudness across program boundaries. Commercial breaks, as well as trailers and loud action scenes, appear less abrupt. It is important to specifically look under Sound, Audio, or Sound in the TV menus, as this function is often not visible in the main menus.

Activate Dynamic Compression

A related function is dynamic compression, sometimes also called DRC, which stands for Dynamic Range Control. It specifically reduces the difference between quiet and loud levels. On the one hand, films mixed with a wide dynamic range appear more balanced, and on the other hand, commercials seem less loud in relation to the quiet film scene before them. Some TVs offer different intensity levels, such as weak, medium, and strong. However, too strong compression can make the sound artificial, which is why it is worth starting with a mild level.

Check Sound Format and Audio Output

Another possible adjustment is the sound format. If multi-channel audio like Dolby Digital is output to simple TV speakers, voices may sound less present, while dense commercials are often maximally present. In the sound menu, under Audio Output or Digital Output, switching to Stereo or PCM often helps.

Different Volume Between Channels and Sources

Anyone who constantly has to readjust the volume when switching between channels or sources knows a similar problem. Some private broadcasters generally seem louder than public service programs, or a cable receiver sounds different from the same channel via the media library app. The background for this is different calibration logics in production and playback. An activated volume leveling on the TV or receiver often smooths out these jumps at least satisfactorily. Additionally, it is worthwhile to match the volumes of connected devices to each other so that switching does not create further jumps.

Step-by-Step to Quieter TV Commercials

1. Open the TV menu and select the Sound or Audio section.
2. Look for terms like Night Mode, Auto Volume, Volume Leveling, or Dynamic Compression.
3. Activate the found function and, if necessary, choose a mild level.
4. Test with a quiet program followed by a commercial break.
5. If an external device is connected (e.g., soundbar), check the same setting there, as it often has its own audio menus.
6. If available, temporarily switch the output format to Stereo or PCM.
7. Adjust the volumes of individual sources to each other so that switching between cable TV, streaming, and console does not create additional jumps.

Commercials in Streaming and Smart TV Apps

Traditional television is only part of what is watched directly on TV today. Media libraries, YouTube, and ad-supported streaming services account for a large portion of TV consumption. The perception of overly loud commercials is often even stronger there than with linear programming.

Why Apps and Media Libraries Sound Different

When streaming, audio passes through a different technical chain than with traditional television. Content, advertising, app, smart TV, and possibly streaming stick each have their own audio processing. Some platforms only partially normalize loudness, others not at all. In addition, content comes from various sources. A private media library production is mixed differently from a professional feature film, and a commercial often comes from an advertising-specific sound studio with its own calibration logic. If a very quietly mixed video is watched and the TV is turned up higher for it, the subsequent, fully calibrated commercial hits with full force.

Audio Settings in the Streaming Device

A common misconception is to look for all audio settings on the TV. In fact, streaming sticks, smart TV apps, and consoles often process audio independently. For example, if the TV’s Night Mode doesn’t change anything, it’s advisable to check the settings of the device through which the app is actually running. Many streaming sticks offer their own options for volume normalization or audio output. Even within some apps, there may be audio leveling that works independently of the TV and stick.

When TV Settings Are Not Enough

TV settings are a sensible first step and certainly cover some everyday problems quite satisfactorily. Often, however, the result is still disappointing. Now is the right time to consider an external solution.

Speech Intelligibility as the Actual Problem

An important point is often overlooked. Commercials are not only annoyingly loud because they are densely mixed. Often, the preceding program’s dialogues are reproduced so quietly or unclearly that the TV has to be set to an unusually high volume. This leads to a continuous loop of loud and quiet passages in every commercial break. During the film, the volume is turned up for the commercial break, then frantically turned down during the commercial. If you want to permanently stop the constant readjusting and solve this annoying problem once and for all, an external TV audio device is the solution.

Solution: OSKAR TV Speech Amplifier

OSKAR does not automatically make TV commercials quieter. The TV speech amplifier helps differently by analyzing the TV sound, optimizing it for better intelligible dialogues, and minimizing distracting background noise. At the same time, OSKAR brings the sound wirelessly closer to the listening position, like a portable soundbar. This often means the TV doesn’t have to be set as loud for speech to remain intelligible. Especially when commercials are perceived as too loud, while dialogues in regular programming are too quiet or unclear, this combination of speech optimization and proximity to the ear can be the perfect solution for TV sound.

Why Proximity to the Ear Further Mitigates the Effect

The further sound has to travel through a room, the more reflections, reverberation, and background noise dominate the listening experience. Speech becomes less clear, and the reaction of many viewers is to turn up the volume. If the sound is reproduced directly at the listening position, however, the ear benefits from a higher proportion of direct sound. Dialogues sound clearer without the overall volume in the room having to be increased. Commercial breaks, which are mixed densely in relation to the program volume, therefore become less impactful because the TV is not artificially set to “overly loud.”

Which Measure for Which Problem

The following overview matches typical complaints about overly loud TV commercials with appropriate measures:

Overview of Problems and Measures

In short: TV settings like Night Mode and Volume Leveling offer immediate and free help against sudden volume jumps. If they are not sufficient, it is worth considering a hearing solution with speech optimization and sound at the listening position, which makes TV sound permanently more pleasant.