How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a song
Citing a song means recording the recording artist, the track title, the album, the record label, the year, and — for streamed music — the platform.
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Identify the recording artist
Note the performer or band credited with the recording. APA places the artist in the author position; for classical works you may credit the composer instead.
2.Record the track and album titles
Copy the song title and the title of the album it appears on. The track is the source and the album is its container.
3.Note the label and year
Record the record label (the "publisher" of the recording) and the year the track or album was released.
4.Note the platform or medium
State how you accessed it — a streaming service, a CD, or a digital download — as your style requires for the medium.
5.Assemble the entry
Arrange the elements in your style’s order, treating the song as the source and the album or platform as its container.
APA 7th edition
Format: Artist. (Year). Title of song [Song]. On Album title. Label. — Worked example: Smith, J. (2021). City lights [Song]. On Night drive. Example Records. In-text: (Smith, 2021). The song title takes a "[Song]" descriptor, the album title is italicised after "On", and the label is named. For classical music, give the composer in the author position with the recording date in parentheses and the performer in a notes element.
MLA 9th edition
Format: Artist. "Title of Song." Album Title, Label, Year. — Worked example: Smith, Jane. "City Lights." Night Drive, Example Records, 2021. In-text: (Smith). The song title is in quotation marks and the album title is italicised as the container. For streamed music, add the platform as a second container: "Night Drive, Example Records, 2021. Streamly, URL."
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Bibliography: Smith, Jane. "City Lights." Recorded 2021. Track 3 on Night Drive. Example Records. Streaming audio. — First footnote: 1. Jane Smith, "City Lights," recorded 2021, track 3 on Night Drive, Example Records, streaming audio. Give the artist, the song title in quotation marks, the album italicised, the label, and the medium (CD, streaming audio or MP3).
Common questions
FAQ
Do I cite the song or the whole album?+
Cite the individual track when you refer to one song, treating the album as its container. Cite the whole album only when you discuss it as a body of work — then the album title takes the title position and you give the album’s overall release details rather than a single track.
How do I cite a song I streamed?+
Name the streaming platform as the retrieval location. MLA adds it as a second container with the URL; APA can name the platform alongside or in place of the label; Chicago states the medium as "streaming audio" and may add the platform and URL at the end of the entry.
How do I cite classical music with a composer and a performer?+
Lead with the composer in the author position, since they created the work, and credit the performer, orchestra or conductor in a notes or contributor element. Give the recording date and label too, because different recordings of the same work differ.
Going deeper
