Why are Hulu Commercials So Loud? 5 Fixes to Normalize Hulu Ad Volume

Key Takeaway

  • Hulu commercials are so loud for marketing purposes to grab your attention.
  • To normalize the ad volume, you can subscribe to No Ads Premium subscription plan that costs $12.99 a month, use ad blocking browser plugin or turn on auto volume mode.
  • As a last resort to tone down the volume on Hulu commercials, you could lodge a complaint to FCC.

You are enjoying your favorite show on Hulu. The plot takes an interesting twist and you are all set but wait! The scene is cut hastily by a commercial. Breaks a heart, No? And it becomes worse when you find the ad bursting at an uncomfortable volume, literally assaulting your ears. Even a loo- break or getting a snack won’t save you. 


You hurriedly reach for the remote control and dial down the volume. It feels so soothing but that made you miss your favorite show. It’s way too quiet now and the blame is on the advertisement. Why are Hulu commercials louder than shows?

Why are Hulu Commercials So Loud? 5 Fixes to Normalize Hulu Ad Volume

Most definitely, there has to be a law for Hulu ad volume normalization. And to our relief, there is one. This policy was curated to nail down the advertisers from preventing their TV commercials from being extremely loud to tolerable. 

The Federal Communication Commission ( FCC) cites that when a certain commercial comes on the TV channel, it should most definitely match the average volume of the channel where it’s played. It aims to mean that it cannot be louder than the show that’s played on the TV channel.

Still, cranky loud commercials exist on Hulu TV, screaming and shouting for your attention while you try to enjoy your favorite show. 

With this article, I am going to throw light on various ways about how you can tackle this situation smartly and some fixes which will work for you while you try to save yourself from the loud Hulu commercial volume.

Why are Commercials So Loud on Hulu?

Why are Commercials So Loud on Hulu?

The sound volume on Hulu TV is about 10-20 dB higher than the other TV brands. There is an electrical procession of the sounds so that the commercials are broadcast in a volume higher than the soap operas. 

While you have been struggling with why commercials are so loud on Hulu, you must know that Hulu commercials are specifically designed to be loud because they aim at grabbing your attention this way. 

When these loud commercials are playing in between your TV shows, it is most likely to grab your attention and to make you buy the products that they are selling. 

It is mostly similar to the fast food joints which are selling food at extremely cheap prices and it’s far too late for people to realize how bad their food is when they have already bought it and begun eating it. So, it is easier not to think much when making a decision about its worth. 

The same way Hulu commercials are played. They are knowingly loud so that they make you pay attention to what they are saying. 

Hulu claims that they are trying their best to fix the problem but many users still suffer from this problem. 

And yes, I agree that this can become extremely annoying because you have to pick up the remote each time to turn the volume down.

How to Tone Down the Volume of Hulu Commercials

How to Tone Down the Volume of Hulu Commercials

With the Hulu ads too loud, Hulu claims that their team at the development center is working constantly to tone down the volume of the commercials at their end but meanwhile, you can try a few solutions that I have brought for you today. Take a look.

5 Fixes to Normalize the Ad Volume on Hulu TV

1) Buy Premium Subscription to Enjoy Ad-Free Shows

The best way to save yourself from the blistering loud ads on Hulu TV is to buy a premium subscription.

You can opt for Hulu No-Ads plan for $12.99 per month. The name has been deliberately given to this tailor-made plan because it offers shows excluding most of the commercials. However ads might still play in the beginning or at the end of the shows.

There is also one plan; Hulu + Live TV Plan which brings live broadcasts of more than 60 channels. With this, you can enjoy Disney, ESPN, Sports, regular TV shows, news, basically everything that is offered on a regular TV plan of Hulu for $69.99 per month. 

Hulu + Live TV( No ads)  can be bought for $75.99 per month.

So, it’s simple. If you have a Live TV plan, at only $6 extra per month, you can enjoy shows on Hulu TV completely ad-free.

2) Install Ad-Blocking Browser Plugin

Install the Ad- Blocking Browser Plugin

Since we are dealing with the pertinent question of why are Hulu ads so loud, this is the easiest and the simplest way to save yourself from Hulu commercials. You just need to download a plugin for ad-blocker. For the Hulu TV, you can go with Hulu Ad Skipper ( for Chrome Browser ). 

For the Microsoft Browser, Ad-Blocker for Microsoft can work in the best capacity. It is very easy to configure and set-up with your TV device. 

This is the most powerful and effective way in which you can save yourself from the annoying commercials on Hulu. To do this – 

  • Open the Browser on your TV and search for these ‘ AdBlocker Plugins’ by typing their names. The same can be done on computers as well.
  • Install them and you are all set to enjoy your shows without any ads.

3) Turn on the Auto Volume Mode

While we have been dealing with why are Hulu commercials so loud and figuring out ways for Hulu Ad volume normalization, another pretty simple way to do so is by turning on the Auto-Volume Mode on

Turn on the Auto-Volume Mode:

To do this-

  • Find the in-screen Hulu volume modifier.
  • Click on the speaker symbol in the lower right corner of your viewing screen.
  • There will be a vertical volume bar highlighted by a small blue circle.
  • Decrease the volume by dragging the volume down on the volume bar.
  • Save changes and restart your Hulu tv.

Now, your Hulu tv will automatically lower down the volume of the commercials that will play.

Turn on the Auto-Volume Mode:

If you are using any streaming device to watch your favorite shows on Hulu, there is also one more option. In the Streaming device, you can activate the Automatic Volume Leveling Feature. When this feature is activated, you can reduce the volume of loud sounds while quiet sounds, like dialogues, can be amplified. 
Note: This feature hasn’t been specifically designed to manage extremely loud commercials but it does work well in the case of exceptionally loud TV commercials.

4) Enable Web Filtering Feature in the Router

Don’t be hopeless. There is yet another option to eliminate your worries about why Hulu commercials are so loud. You can easily use the web-filtering feature in your router to block the annoying ads on Hulu TV.

Web-filtering is a feature that most of the latest routers are enabled with. They let you block certain websites and features on your router. It can be of great help by blocking commercials for you on Hulu TV using specific services.

Its method can depend on the local area network configuration that you have been using but the procedure, more or less, remains the same and will guide you to set up similar settings on your router. 

For reference, I have also attached a Youtube video here. 

To enable this feature, follow these steps :

  1. Open a web browser. Now, type in your router’s IP Address.
  2. Mostly, it is 192.168.0.1 or something close to it. To be sure, check your router’s manual.
  3. Click on ‘Settings’ for your router.
  4. Usually, it is listed as an advanced options feature. Once you are at the settings, click on the ‘ Web-filtering’ option. 
  5. In the option of ‘Web-filter’, add this domain – ‘ ads-e-darwin.hulustream.com’. Most of the ads from Hulu are served from this URL.
  6. After you have finished doing this, save your changes.
  7. Restart your router.

After enabling this great feature of ‘Web-filter’, the majority of Hulu’s advertisements and commercials should be blocked. 

However please note that some shows might not play after you block the website from the router. And in that case, you will have to reverse the setting.

5) Lodge a Complaint with FCC

So, you have tried everything that has been mentioned in the steps listed above. This is the last step you can resort to. 

In the case of excessively loud commercials on Hulu TV, the FCC encourages viewers to file complaints at https://www.fcc.gov/. If you also wish to raise an issue regarding the same, follow the steps mentioned below : 

  • Go to the ‘Consumers’ section and click on ‘Guides’ option.
  • Thereafter, select ‘ Loud Commercials’.
  • There, at the bottom , you’ll find the option to register a complaint. 

Important: While you write your complaint, you’ll be required to mention some basic information like the advertiser’s name or the product advertised, whether you have been facing it on Pay-TV or a broadcast station. You’ll also need to mention the name of the program which you were watching while that commercial was aired along with the broadcaster who aired it.

There is another Hulu problem that I wrote about sometime ago. It is called Hulu fast forward glitch where it doesn’t let you rewind or shows get fast-forwarded. In case you are facing that issue, do give it a read. 

FAQs

Q1. Can I automatically mute the commercials? 

Answer – Yes, you can mute the commercials automatically by downloading plugins from your browser. This has been discussed and illustrated in detail in my article. Take a reading for the stepwise procedure. 

Q2. Why are Hulu Live commercials so loud?

Answer – The volume of the commercials is louder than the programs you watch to grab your attention. They stop you from binge-watching your favorite show. To tackle this, you can follow the remedial steps given in this article.

Q3. Why are Hulu Commercials becoming longer?

Answer – Some shows broadcast longer ads than others as they are controlled by respective channels. It is not available in the streaming library of Hulu, which means that content is not owned by Hulu. 

Q4. Can you turn down the commercials on Hulu? 

Answer – For this, you will have to –

  1. scroll down to the section of ‘Your Subscription’. 
  2. Click on ‘Manage’, placed next to ‘add-ons’.
  3. Move to the section ‘ Switch Plans’.
  4. Click on ‘No Commercials.’

This will block all the commercials for you in the Hulu TV and you’ll be able to enjoy ad-free shows easily. 

Last Few Words

With my research and experience, I have tried my best to put across maximum information on why Hulu commercials are so loud. So, I am sure that now you can resolve this issue. Do let me know in the comments section if any other fix worked for you.

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