How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a YouTube video
Citing a YouTube video means recording the uploader or channel, the video title, the date it was posted, and the URL.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Identify the uploader
Note who posted the video — a person, an organisation or a channel name. This goes in the author position; APA uses the account that uploaded the video.
2.Copy the video title
Copy the exact title shown on the video page. APA italicises it; MLA and Chicago put it in quotation marks.
3.Note the channel and posting date
Record the channel name and the full date the video was posted (day, month, year), both shown on the video page.
4.Copy the URL
Copy the full URL from the address bar. Use the standard watch URL rather than a shortened share link.
5.Assemble the entry
Arrange the elements in your style’s order, treating YouTube as the site or container that hosts the video.
APA 7th edition
Format: Uploader. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL — Worked example: Smith, J. (2021, March 14). How citation styles differ [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123 In-text: (Smith, 2021). The uploader is the author, the title is italicised with the "[Video]" descriptor, and the site is named "YouTube".
MLA 9th edition
Format: Uploader. "Title of Video." YouTube, Day Month Year, URL. — Worked example: Smith, Jane. "How Citation Styles Differ." YouTube, 14 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123. In-text: (Smith). The video title is in quotation marks and YouTube is the container, italicised, with the posting date and URL.
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Bibliography: Smith, Jane. "How Citation Styles Differ." YouTube video, 8:42. March 14, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123. — First footnote: 1. Jane Smith, "How Citation Styles Differ," YouTube video, 8:42, March 14, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123. Give the title in quotation marks, the medium and running time, the posting date and the URL.
Common questions
FAQ
Who counts as the author of a YouTube video?+
APA uses the account that uploaded the video. If the uploader’s real name and username both appear, APA gives the name followed by the username in square brackets. MLA and Chicago use the uploader or channel name. When the channel is an organisation, name the organisation.
What date do I use?+
Use the date the video was posted, as shown on the video page, formatted to your style: APA "(2021, March 14)", MLA "14 Mar. 2021", Chicago "March 14, 2021". Do not use the date you watched it unless your style asks for an access date for unstable content.
Do I include the video length?+
Chicago includes the running time (e.g. "8:42") as part of the medium statement. APA and MLA do not require the length in the reference, though APA permits a time stamp in an in-text citation to point to a specific moment.
Going deeper
