Reels And Stories Implement Consistent Volume Level Control Between Clips
If you’re like everyone else, you really hate it when one clip on Reels or Stories is way loud, while the next one is barely loud enough to hear. Having to constantly change the volume level really diminishes the experience. We used to have that problem with television and it took a law from Congress to change it. In this case, Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company) was proactive as it implemented consistent volume level control on its own before a government body took control.
If you jump back to television before 2011, every time a commercial popped on you were blasted out of your seat thanks to the increased compression used to get you to notice it. Even worse, every channel decided its own level, which meant that you were always reaching for the volume control on your remote. After being inundated with complaints, the U.S. Congress passed the CALM Act which mandated the same volume level between programs, commercials and channels. The penalties for violation were severe, as a channel could lose their rare and expensive broadcast license for non-compliance.
Volume Complaints
Meta received the same type of volume level complaints for both Reels and Stories, and thankfully has decided to do something about it. The company has implemented a new codec called xHE-AAC to help combat uneven levels, but it turns out that’s just a welcome byproduct.
xHE-AAC also provides higher quality audio and picture, plus it compensates for when you’re in a low-bandwidth situation by adapting the audio and video stream to provide a smoother experience. This new codec is only available on the latest Facebook and Instagram apps, so you’ll have to update to the latest version to notice the changes.
When we watch television we no longer even thing about volume differences between programs, commercials and channels anymore. Yep, that’s a good thing and hopefully we’ll all soon be having the same experience with Reels and Stories as well.
