Why audio and metadata will define the next phase of FAST and OTT

As streaming, free ad-supported streaming television (FAST), and connected TV (CTV) evolve from their early phases into core distribution platforms, they are beginning to face the same pressures that broadcast faced a decade ago. Viewers no longer differentiate between a linear broadcast channel and a FAST channel delivered over IP. They expect the same consistency, the same predictability, and the same level of technical reliability.

Increasingly, regulators expect it too, especially now that OTT has surpassed traditional broadcast as the delivery method.

One place streaming still lags behind broadcast is loudness.

The industry has spent years optimizing video quality, compression efficiency, and ad targeting, but audio loudness remains inconsistent across platforms, across devices, and especially across ad breaks. With California now implementing CALM — A/85‑style requirements for streaming, and other states preparing to follow, this becomes mandatory. Loudness control and metadata integrity are becoming basic requirements for FAST and OTT.

The challenge is that streaming workflows are far more fragmented than traditional broadcast chains ever were. In broadcast, a single facility controlled playout, processing, and compliance. In FAST and OTT, content passes through a long chain of suppliers, transcoders, aggregators, ad‑tech partners, and device platforms. Each handoff introduces the risk of losing or altering loudness metadata. Each re‑encode can strip dialnorm or flatten the dynamic range. And each SSAI or CSAI insertion point can introduce ads that bear no resemblance to the loudness profile of the surrounding content.

This fragmentation is why loudness inconsistencies are more noticeable on streaming than they ever were on broadcast. A viewer watching a FAST channel on a Samsung TV and then switching to the same channel on Roku may experience entirely different loudness behavior. Ads delivered through different ad‑tech partners may vary wildly in level. And because many ad‑tech companies care more about fill rate, CPM, and targeting than how the audio actually sounds, loudness compliance often falls through the cracks.

What’s missing? Metadata.

The broadcast world learned long ago that loudness control isn’t just about processing; it’s about preserving metadata throughout the chain. Dialnorm, loudness range, true peak values, and program‑versus‑ad markers allow platforms to normalize audio without destroying creative intent. They enable consistent ad insertion. They ensure compliance with emerging regulations. And as object‑based audio formats like Dolby Atmos and MPEG‑H become more common, metadata becomes even more critical for predictable rendering across TVs, soundbars, and mobile devices.

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But metadata alone isn’t enough. The next phase of FAST and OTT requires platforms to step in and take control by normalizing and publishing their loudness targets, just as broadcasters did when CALM first took hold. When a platform clearly defines its loudness expectations — whether that’s -24 LKFS, -23 LUFS, or another standard — it creates a stable reference point for the entire ecosystem. Content suppliers know what to deliver. Transcoders know what to preserve. And critically, ad‑tech companies are held accountable for delivering ads that meet the same loudness criteria as the programming they interrupt. Without clear rules from the platforms, loudness compliance becomes a guessing game, and viewers are the ones who suffer.

For FAST and OTT providers, the next steps are the same ones broadcast took a decade ago, beginning with ingest‑level QC to ensure that every asset, whether it’s a program or an ad, meets loudness requirements before entering the workflow. It continues with strict metadata preservation, preventing downstream systems from stripping or rewriting loudness information. It requires ad‑tech partners to deliver compliant assets and support loudness‑aware stitching. And it demands real‑time monitoring so platforms can see what viewers are actually hearing. Publishing loudness targets and enforcing them across the supply chain is the final piece that ties these efforts together.

Compliance is really just the beginning of the story. What really matters are user experience, retention, and monetization. Loudness jumps are one of the top reasons viewers abandon FAST channels. A platform that sounds chaotic feels chaotic, and that erodes trust. If viewers mute or abandon during loud ads, CPMs suffer and churn increases. Conversely, the first FAST platforms to deliver broadcast‑grade audio consistency will differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

Streaming has now reached the point where scale and regulations matter. Loudness processing, metadata integrity, and clear platform‑level loudness standards aren’t just technical details anymore; they’re basic requirements. Broadcast figured this out a decade ago; now it’s streaming’s turn, and the platforms that embrace the shift will be the ones that define the next era of FAST and OTT.

Costa Nikols, Telos AllianceCosta Nikols is an executive-team strategy advisor for media and entertainment at Telos Alliance.