Why are Hulu Commercials So Loud? Here’s How I Fixed It

I recently gave up the cable connection on my TV and decided to switch to a streaming service. 

I had my eyes on Hulu’s essential subscription, which unfortunately comes with commercials.

A few minutes into watching a show on Hulu, I jumped out of my chair due to an abnormally loud mobile commercial. 

The volume was so high it almost felt like a jumpscare from a horror clip.

Soon enough, I learned that this was an issue noticed by many Hulu users. 

Unsurprisingly, I found several threads where users complained about extremely loud commercials.

Hulu commercials are so loud because content on Hulu is programmed to play at a lower volume. This forces you to increase the volume of the content you watch on Hulu. When a commercial starts playing, it sounds abnormally loud. 

Luckily, I found a few ways to make Hulu commercials sound less loud. 

However, some of these depend on the specific device you are using to stream Hulu.

Use the Audio Leveling Setting On Your Device

I watch Hulu on my Samsung TV; this was the easiest fix that made the most significant difference. 

Most TVs come with an audio leveling setting. This feature detects higher and lower ranges of volume levels and then compresses the volume to give you a consistent sound.

This will fix the loud commercials on your Hulu.

Here’s how you can turn on audio leveling on your TV. 

  • Press the home button on your remote to get to the launch screen of your TV.
  • Now navigate to the Settings menu.
  • Search for audio settings.
  • Look for the option named Dynamic Range Suppression. Some models could be named the “Night Mode” or “Smart Volume” feature.
  • Once you find the setting, click on the toggle to turn it on.

In case you get No sound on Hulu after making the changes, power cycle your streaming device.

If you’re watching Hulu on Mac or a Windows computer, you won’t find an audio leveling setting by default, so here’s what you should do instead.

Install an Ad Blocker On Your Computer

I installed the AdBlock extension on my Chrome to avoid watching ads. This extension works seamlessly on most websites. 

However, it is not entirely foolproof and might occasionally display ads. 

I still find it useful as I don’t have to watch all the ads. The extension also blocks pop-up ads and third-party trackers. So, it’s a great security add-on for me.

You can use AdBlock on your computer to avoid loud Hulu commercials. 

Check out the steps below to install the AdBlock extension.

  • Go to the browser and search for Chrome Web Store.
  • Click on the Extension menu on the left side of the screen.
  • Now search for the AdBlock extension.
  • Click on “Add to Chrome”.

This will install the AdBlock extension on your Chrome browser and block the commercials on Hulu.

If you get the Unsupported browser error on Hulu, update your browser to the latest build.

Get Hulu No Ads Subscription To Avoid Commercials

Upgrading your account to Hulu No Ads will cost you a few extra bucks.

The No Ads subscription starts from $14.99 per month. 

Along with avoiding loud commercials, this plan will also save you time by skipping the commercials and getting an interrupted streaming experience.

Here’s how you can change your plan on Hulu.

To start with, 

  • Log in to your account page.
  • Now get to the Navigation page.
  • Click on Manage Plan.
  • Select the Manage Add-Ons.

If Hulu login is not working, reinstall the Hulu app on your streaming device.

Although many users have reported getting ads even after buying the No Ads subscription of Hulu, some shows and Live TV are excluded from the ad-free experience. 

Hence, you’ll still bump into ads while watching these programs.

Switch To Other Streaming Platforms

The problem of loud commercials on Hulu is not new. For years, Hulu has been claiming to work on fixing the audio imbalances across its platform. However, most users haven’t found a straightforward solution yet.

Many users have started switching to other streaming platforms like YouTube TV, which costs less and doesn’t have the issue of loud commercials. 

The monthly subscription to YouTube TV starts from $64.99 and makes up for a great alternative to Hulu + Live TV.

The Thing About Audio Leveling

Initially, I thought Hulu would fix the loud commercials in a future update. However, the problem persists. The fastest way to improve the loudness is audio leveling. 

But there’s a twist. On some TVs, audio leveling diminishes the sound quality of the content. This, again, is a troubling experience for most Hulu users.

If audio leveling does not work, and you hate pressing the mute button before every commercial, then you should consider switching to an alternative like YouTube TV. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Commercial Volume Louder on Hulu?

Hulu commercial volume sounds louder, as the platform keeps the content volume low. This makes the user turn up the volume. When a commercial plays, it sounds much louder than the content volume.

Is It Illegal for Commercial Volume to be louder?

The CALM Act passed in 2011 banned loud commercials. However, this applies only to Live TV and not streaming services.

How do I Stabilize my TV volume?

You can stabilize your TV volume by turning on the audio leveling setting. This will help you play both the videos and commercials at the same volume level.

Do soundbars help with loud commercials?

Most soundbars have an audio leveling feature that can help with loud commercials.

About the author

Maria Chan, or MC, as we call her, is the genius girl-boss who gave up on her cushy silicon-valley job to grind it out with us. Her undying pursuit of wanting Zeebox to the best makes it very clear that she has no interest in running a generic tech-site.