ATSC updates audio loudness standards to include IP and streaming workflows

This update bridges the technical gap between traditional linear broadcasting and internet-based delivery, giving engineers a standardized framework to mitigate fluctuating volume levels that plague modern streaming. With California state law and potential FCC actions increasingly targeting streaming audio loudness, the A/85 revision offers a critical compliance roadmap for OTT platforms. Consistent audio management prevents viewer churn and reduces the risk of regulatory penalties. Watch for major streaming providers to integrate these specific A/85 annexes into their ingest and transcoding pipelines to satisfy upcoming legal mandates.

The ATSC revision coincides with a significant shift in the regulatory landscape. In October 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 576, which mandates that streaming services serving state residents must keep ad volumes consistent with programming. According to Fox Business and the L.A. Times, this law went into effect on July 1, 2026, effectively ending the 'loophole' left by the federal 2010 CALM Act, which only regulated traditional cable and broadcast. This state-level enforcement is likely to have national repercussions, as services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video may find it more efficient to apply these volume standards across their entire U.S. infrastructure rather than manage fragmented regional settings.

At the federal level, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has signaled a renewed focus on audio issues. Per a February 2025 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission is investigating a surge in loudness complaints and questioning whether it has the statutory authority under the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act to regulate streaming audio directly. While federal legislation to expand the CALM Act has stalled in Congress as of late 2025, California's move has spurred other states; Illinois passed similar legislation in mid-2026 that is scheduled to take effect in July 2027.

Technically, the new A/85 guidance addresses the specific challenges of server-side ad insertion (SSAI) and varying encoding pipelines. Industry groups like the Motion Picture Association previously opposed strict loudness mandates for streaming, citing the technical complexity of maintaining consistent levels across diverse device ecosystems. By providing clear guidance for both metadata-enabled codecs like AC-3 and non-metadata workflows, the revised ATSC standard offers a technical solution to these legacy implementation hurdles.