in text citation of youtube video

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Q. How do I cite a YouTube or online video?

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Answered By: Berkeley College Library Last Updated: Jan 28, 2022     Views: 822389

To cite online videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), you would follow the conventions of either MLA or APA style.  Be sure to check your assignment for citation style requirements.

You should include as much descriptive information as you can to help your readers find the video you reference. Generally, you will need the full name and/or screen name of whoever uploaded the video, publication date, title of the video, hosting website (YouTube) and URL for video. 

The general format for citing online videos in APA style is as follows:

Last Name, A.A. [Screen name]. (year, month day).  Title of video  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxxx

For online videos, you will cite the person or group who uploaded the video. This is not necessarily the same as the person depicted in the video (example: a Beyoncé video uploaded by BeyFan123 would be cited under BeyFan123, and not the artist's name). If you have both the full name and screen name for the person who uploaded the video, you would include both, starting with the person's full name. If you only have the person's screen name, you would format your citation as follows:

Screen name. (year, month day).  Title of video  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxxx.

You'll see the citation now starts with the screen name only, and does not include brackets.

Example of a citation with the creator's full name:

Doe, J.J. [janedoe]. (2016, December 19).  Day in the Life  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxx.

and without the creator's full name (only a screen name): 

Janedoe. (2016, December 19).  Day in the Life  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxx

Your in-text citation should include the last name or screen name and the year. Example:

(Doe, 2016) or (Janedoe, 2016). 

The general format for citing online videos in MLA style is as follows:

"Title of video."  YouTube,  uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

If the author of the video is not the same as the person who uploaded the video, your citation would be formatted as follows:

Author last name, First Name. "Title of video."  YouTube,  uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

Example of citation with different author and uploader:

Beyoncé . "Sorry."  YouTube , uploaded by BeyFan123, 17 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Example of citation with no known author or same author and uploader:

"Day in the Life."  YouTube , uploaded by janedoe, 19 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Your in-text citation will depend on whether you have the author's last name. Basically, you will want to cite in-text whatever appears first in the citation on your Works Cited page. If you are referencing a specific part of the video, MLA format also requires that you specify the time in the video when that part begins.

In-text citation with author:

(Last name,  00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

In-text citation with no author or same author and uploader:

("Title of video," 00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

Here's an example of a Berkeley College YouTube video cited in APA and MLA formats:

APA style

Works Cited list:

berkeleycollege. (2019, January 16).  File Your FAFSA Today!  [Video file]. YouTube.  https://youtu.be/HaFACQA5SFY

(berkeleycollege, 2019)

"File Your FAFSA Today!"  YouTube,  uploaded by berkeleycollege, 16 January, 2019, https://youtu.be/HaFACQA5SFY

("File your FAFSA," 00:00:30-00:00:45). 

If you have further questions, consult the Writing and Citing Libguide  or ask a librarian .  

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• APA Style: YouTube Video References
• MLA Style Center: Citing an Online Video (including YouTube)
• MLA / APA Formats and Writing LibGuide (CAS)

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• How to cite a YouTube video in APA Style

How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 1, 2023.

To cite a YouTube video in APA Style, you include the person or organization that uploaded it, their channel name (if different from their real name), the upload date, the video title (italicized), “Video” in square brackets, the name of the site,  and a link to the video.

Note that the same format works for other video sites like Vimeo; just replace “YouTube” with the name of whatever site the video is from. APA TV show citations are different.

Cite a YouTube video in APA Style now:

Table of contents, where to find citation information for a youtube video, authors and channel names, in-text citations for youtube videos, how to cite a youtube channel.

The information you’ll need for your citation is easy to locate on YouTube. It’s located just below the video, as shown in the image below.

The “author” of a YouTube video is not necessarily the person or group who created the video. Instead, APA requires you to list the uploader of the video in the author position. This makes it easier for the reader to locate the video.

If the uploader is an individual whose real name is known and is different from their channel name, both should be included. The real name is written in the standard format, while the channel name follows in square brackets and is written exactly as it is on YouTube, retaining any unconventional capitalization or spacing.

If the author’s real name is unknown or the uploader is not an individual, the channel name is included alone, with no brackets.

Where the channel name is the same as the author’s real name, it only needs to be written once:

For an in-text citation of a YouTube video, use whichever name appears first in the full citation, whether that’s a real name or a channel name:

• (Stevens, 2017)
• (University of Oxford, 2019)

When you quote or refer to a specific part of a video, include a timestamp pointing to the relevant moment in the video:

If the person quoted is not the uploader, it’s best to specify their identity in the text, as in this TED Talk citation :

Sometimes you might need to cite a whole channel instead of a single video, as when you’re discussing a channel’s content in general.

In this case, don’t include the year the channel was created – just use “n.d.” (no date) as it’s the current content of the channel that’s relevant. Write “YouTube channel” instead of “Video” in the square brackets, and include a retrieval date, since channel content will change over time.

“Home” refers to the homepage of the channel; if you’re citing something else like the videos or playlists tab, replace accordingly:

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, December 01). How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/youtube/

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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Youtube Video

• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three to Five Authors or Editors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
• Article in a Reference Book
• Edition other than the First
• Translation
• Government Publication
• Journal Article with 1 Author
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• Magazine Article
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• Basic Web Page
• Web page from a University site
• Web Page with No Author
• Entry in a Reference Work
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• Film and Television

Youtube Video

• Audio Podcast
• Electronic Image
• Twitter/Instagram
• Lecture/PPT
• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Citation Support
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting Your Paper

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Author Surname OR Screen name, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. OR Author screen name. (Year, Month Day {of video post}). Title of video [Video]. Title of website. URL of specific video

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Norton, 2006)

Norton, R. (2006, November 4). How to train a cat to operate a light switch [Video file]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA YouTube Citation

How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA

While doing research for a paper, you may find relevant YouTube videos that you want to cite. You may already know how to cite a website in APA , but it can be difficult to know how to cite YouTube in APA style. You may also want to cite quotes within the video, user comments, or entire YouTube accounts.

The guidelines of this page cover APA 7th edition and specifies what you need to know to cite any various YouTube video content in APA style. For similar but different media, like citing a movie in APA or a tv show,  you’ll need to visit another guide.

Guide Overview

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

Step-by-step instructions for a YouTube video citation in APA style

Basic youtube video citation structure.

• Video with creator’s real name and screen mame

Video without uploader’s real name OR video by an organization

Citing a youtube channel, citing a direct quote from a video, citing a comment on a youtube video, citing a ted talk found on youtube, a note on apa 7th edition, citing a youtube video in apa, what you need, troubleshooting.

• List the real last name of the video’s uploader, capitalizing the first letter. Place a comma after the last name and then list the first initial of their first name, followed by a period. If you find their middle initial, list it after the first initial and period, also followed by a period. If the creator’s name is unavailable, skip this step and begin your citation with the next step.
• Next, using brackets, list the screen name of the video’s uploader as it is spelled on the page. Place a period after the closing bracket.
• Then, in parentheses, put the full numerical year followed by a comma, the full written month starting with a capital letter and followed by a comma, and the numerical day that the video was posted. Close the parentheses and follow with a period.
• Put the title of the video in Italics and in sentence case (only capitalizing the first letter and proper nouns). Do not place a period after the title.
• After the title, put the word Video (for the source format), capitalized, in normal font, and in brackets. Place a period after the closing bracket.
• Put the word YouTube (for the website source name) as it is spelled here, followed by a period.
• List the full URL for the web page containing the YouTube video you are citing. Do not follow with a period.

Note that in your citation, you must indent any lines after the first line. APA-style in-text citations for quoting and paraphrasing are the same for YouTube videos.

Video with creator’s real name and screen name

If only the screen name is available, you put the screen name first in the citation and omit the “[Screen name]” part of the citation.

View Screenshot

Now that you know how to cite YouTube in APA style, you may need more specific information on citing channels, quotes, or comments.

Instead of citing one particular YouTube video, you may want to cite an entire YouTube channel. While the format is similar to citing a YouTube video, there are a few key differences you can see in the format guidelines below.

• You will always use “n.d.” for “no date” because YouTube channels are undated.
• If you are instead citing another tab of the account (Videos, Playlists, Channels, Discussion, About), put the correct tab name instead of the word “Home.”
• Use the words “YouTube Channel” instead of the name of any specific videos since you’re citing a whole channel (not just one video).

You may want to include a direct quote from a YouTube video within your paper. While your reference page citation for the quote will be the same as a citation for the whole video, your in-text citation will need a timestamp to help readers easily access the quote ( Publication Manual , p. 274). It is commonly accepted to only include a timestamp for the beginning of the quote, but you may use a timestamp range if you think it would be helpful.

While researching your topic, you may find that you want to include a comment left on a YouTube video. You will need to cite the comment itself rather than the YouTube video. The format for citing a YouTube comment is similar to citing a YouTube video with a few key differences.

TED Talks are often great sources of information, and they can be found on both the TED website and on YouTube. When citing a TED Talk found on YouTube, list TED as the author for the in-text citation and the reference page.

The 7th edition of the APA Manual came out in 2020, replacing the 6th edition that came out in 2009. There are a few changes in the newest manual that apply when you need to cite YouTube video APA style.

Notable 7th edition changes include:

• Omission of “Retrieved from” before URLs
• Addition of the website name
• Uses “Video” instead of “Video file.”
• In-text citation format is the same,

APA 6th Edition Reference Page Format:

Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of the video [Video file]. Retrieved from URL

APA 7th Edition Reference Page Format:

Uploader Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of the video [Video]. Name of website. URL

In-text Citation Format (6th AND 7th Edition): 

(Author/Creator Last Name OR Screen name, Year)

To cite YouTube videos in APA style, you will need certain information. If available, find the following to include in your citation:

• Name of the individual(s) or group who uploaded the video. If it’s an individual, use their real name.
• Video uploader’s screen name
• Date attached to the video (including year, month, date)
• Title of the video
• URL of the video’s webpage

If any of the above information is not available on the same page as the YouTube video, you may need to do a little more research to find it. For example, to find the real name of the video’s uploader, you can click on the screen name to view the creator’s account where you might find their real name in the bio.

If any of the information is not available, even after doing additional research, simply leave it out of the citation, but include the rest of the information following the order of the basic format below.

Who is the author?

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (2020, p. 344) clarifies that the uploader of the video is used as the “author” of the video, even if they are not the creator of it.

Further information on citing in APA can be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association in Section 10.12.

Solution #1: How to cite a video when the uploader’s real name cannot be found

When you want to cite a video from YouTube, Vimeo, or any other video-hosting sites, but cannot find the uploader’s real name, use their username in place of their actual name in your APA works-cited citation.

If using a username in place of a typical name, keep the same format and case of the username as it is discovered online, and omit the bracketed “username” part of your APA citation in your bibliography.

Use the username in place of the author’s name for your in-text citation.

Example in-text citation:

(videogamedunkey, 2021)

Example reference:

videogamedunkey. (2021, September 21). Originality in video games [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQzTtsr3AQ

American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10/1037/0000165-000

Published July 21, 2014. Updated April 16, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau.  Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

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• et al Usage
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• Paraphrasing
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• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
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• View APA Guide

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To cite a YouTube video, you need to have the name of the uploader or the screen name, the full date the video was uploaded, the title of the video, and the URL (uniform resource locator). If any of these details are not available, you can skip it and add only the available information. The templates for in-text citations and reference list entries of a YouTube video along with examples are given below.

In-text citation templates and examples:

Video uploader’s name or Screen name (publication year)

Seburn (2020)

Parenthetical:

(Video uploader’s name or Screen name, publication year)

(Seburn, 2020)

Note that month and day are not mentioned in in-text citations.

Reference list entry template and example:

Video uploader’s Surname F. M. [Screen name]. (Publication Year, Month Day). Video title  [Video]. YouTube. URL

Seburn, C. [Smart Screen]. (2020, May 20). Welcome to the smart student! (Introductory video)  [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/wz9kb_cQ57Y

If you want to include the screen name, include it in square brackets after the uploader’s name. Set the title of the video in italics and sentence case. The word “Video” follows the title in square brackets. Use the word “YouTube” before the URL.

To cite a movie in APA style , it is important that you know basic information such as the name of the director, the date, the title of the movie, and the name of the production company.

In-text citation template and example:

Director Surname (Year)

Coppola (1972)

(Director Surname, Year)

(Coppola, 1972)

Director’s Surname, F. M. (Director). (Year). Title of the movie [Film]. Production Company.

Coppola, F. F. (Director). (1972). The godfather [Film]. Alfran Productions.

To cite a TV series in APA style, it is important that you know basic information such as the name of the executive producer, the date, the title of the TV series, and the name of the production company.

Executive Producer Surname(s) (Year/s)

Crane and Kauffman (1994–2004)

(Executive Producer Surnames, Year/s)

(Crane & Kauffman, 1994–2004)

Executive Producer’s Surname, F. M. (Executive Producers). (Year). Title of the TV show [TV series]. Production Company.

Crane, D., & Kauffman, M. (Executive Producers). (1994–2004). Friends [TV series]. Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions.

Streaming video

To cite a streaming video in APA style, it is important that you know basic information such as the name of the person or group who uploaded the video (or their username), the year, month, and day the video was uploaded, the title of the video, the streaming service, and the URL.

Video uploader’s surname or username (Year)

Stanford (2010)

(Video uploader’s surname or username, Year)

(Stanford, 2010)

Video uploader’s Surname F. M. [Username]. (Publication Year, Month Day). Video title . [Video]. YouTube. URL

Stanford. [Smart Screen]. (2010, March 29). Introduction to human behavioral biology . [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnIGh9g6fA

If you want to include the username with the uploader’s full name, include it in square brackets after the uploader’s name. Set the title of the video in italics and sentence case. The word “[Video]” follows the title. Use the streaming service’s title, “YouTube,” before the URL.

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How do I cite a YouTube video in APA format?

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According to the Official APA® Style and Grammar Guidelines , the basic APA format for a YouTube video is:

• Use the name of the account that uploaded the video as the author.
• Include the specific date on which the video was uploaded. 
• Italicize the video title.
• Include [Video] after the title. [Video] is not italicized.

Provide the site name (YouTube) and URL of the video.

• NASA. (2019, August 28).  Soft robotic gripper for jellyfish  [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= guRoWTYfxMs
• Parenthetical citation : (NASA, 2019) 
• Narrative citation : NASA (2019)

Cite a YouTube channel:

• YouTube channel pages begin on the 'Home' tab by default. To cite one of the other tabs (Videos, Playlists, Community, or Channels), use the name of that tab rather than Home in the title element of the reference (as in the NASA example below). 
• Italicize the title of the channel.  
• Include the description “[YouTube channel]” in square brackets after the title. 
• Provide a retrieval date, because the content is designed to change over time and is not archived.

Oneida Digital Media. (n.d.). Home  [YouTube channel]. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/user/OneidaProductions

NASA. (n.d.).  Playlists  [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved July 12, 2022 from https://www.youtube.com/c/NASA/playlists

Parenthetical citations : (Oneida Digital Media, n.d.)  (NASA, n.d.)

Narrative citation :  Oneida Digital Media (n.d.) and NASA (n.d.)

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How to Cite YouTube and Other Videos in MLA and APA

With the advent of YouTube, Vimeo, and other great video sites, you can find short videos and how-to-videos online from a wide range of experts. This means you might need to know how to cite a video or YouTube as part of your essay. Make your video citations “fabulous” by following a few simple tricks for citing a YouTube video in MLA or APA.

Table of Contents

How to Cite a Video in MLA

• Citing a Video in APA
• How to Cite a Youtube Video in MLA & APA

Citing a Video in MLA and APA

When it comes to citing a video in MLA or APA, style matters. This is professional writing, after all. However, basically, each style is looking to answer the same questions.

• Who uploaded it?
• Where can you find it?
• When did you access it?
• What is it?

If you can answer these basic questions, then you’re well on your way to beautiful, professional reference MLA and APA video citations. Now, all you need is formatting.

Since MLA is one of the most common styles used in both high schools and colleges, you often use it to cite videos. Why? Because MLA is a style that makes humanities articles easy to cite. And there are a lot of videos. This is why MLA also breaks down how to cite a video file in the works cited list .  First, the components:

• Author, producer, director, etc.
• Title of the video in italics or quotation marks (This will depend on if the video is considered a film or an episode per MLA style sheet .)
• Where you found it in italics (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
• Who uploaded it
• Day, month, year it was uploaded

Since MLA can get a bit tricky, check out a couple of different examples.

Author. “Title of Video.” Publisher, uploaded by website, date, URL.

MLA Video Example With Author:

Aaron, Aaron, director. “Annotation a Short Film.” Vimeo, uploaded by bibliographymaster, 1 Dec. 2018, www.vimeo.com/channels.

Example MLA without Author:

“Annotation a Short Film.” Vimeo, uploaded by bibliographymaster, 1 Dec. 2018, www.vimeo.com/channels.

How to Cite a Video In-Text MLA

Now to look at in-text citations for videos in MLA. You never just cite your sources in the works cited! You have to give credit where credit is due in your article, too. If not, your teacher can consider it plagiarism, and no one wants that. To create an in-text citation in MLA, use the author and timestamp.

In-Text Citation MLA Video Example – Author

(Aaron 01:15 – 02:00)

In-Text Citation MLA Video Example – Without Author

(“Annotation a Short Film”)

(“Annotation a Short Film” 01:32 – 02:00)

Citing Videos in MLA for Streaming Services

Knowing how to cite a physical DVD or BluRay is important, but a lot of videos are now offered through streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Hulu . When it comes to a streaming service, your citation looks like:

Last Name, First Name, role. Title of Video,  role by Other Contributors, Date, URL.

Streaming Video Example MLA –  Works Cited

Van Dormael, Jaco, director. Mr. Nobody,  produced by Phillippe Godeau, 2009, www.netflix.com/title/70117580.

Streaming Video Example MLA – In-Text Citation

(Van Dormael)

(Van Dormael 01:11:16)

How to Cite a Video in APA

Like MLA, you might need to cite a video in APA style. However, APA is used for social science papers and gives them a nice flow, tone, and, most of all, uniformity. To create citations for your APA Reference page for online videos, you need:

• Author name, director, screen name, etc.
• Year, month, and day it was uploaded
• Title of the video in italics
• Medium in brackets [Video]

Make APA video citations a breeze by following the basic format for a  video source  APA citation :

Author, director, username. (Year). Title of video: Subtitle [Video]. Website or Publisher. URL

Example Citation for Video

Movies English & Arabic. (2019). The upside [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/T04PnAOuEWs

How to Cite a Video In-Text in APA

In addition to citing the APA video on your reference list, include a citation in the text to show your audience where the information came from.

(Screen name, year, time of quoted material within the video)

Example – APA In-Text Quotation for Video

(Movies English & Arabic, 2019, 12:01)

(Screen name, year)

Example APA – In-Text Paraphrase

(Movies English & Arabic, 2019)

How to Cite a Youtube Video

Since YouTube is the most common video website out there, you’ll find that you might end up citing this nine times out of ten. So, it makes sense to look at specific YouTube examples in each different style. Remember, in APA style, you do not put a period after the URL, but you do include one in MLA.

Citing a Youtube Video in MLA Examples

When creating your MLA paper, you might find yourself needing to cite some Youtube videos. These come up enough that the MLA style guide gives specific examples. Check out these Youtube examples in MLA format.

Citing a Youtube Video MLA With Author

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

Citing a Youtube Video MLA Example Without Author

“Slip Slip Knit (SSK).” YouTube , uploaded by TheKnitWitch, 14 Feb. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGwcYW3GG3M.

How to Cite a Youtube Video APA Example

MLA isn’t the only style to discuss how to cite a Youtube video. APA breaks down the format for citing a YouTube video in their APA 7 format.

APA YouTube Example Author – Reference 

Apsolon, M. (2011, September 9). The haunting tape 14 (ghost caught on video) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nyGCbxD848

APA YouTube Example Screenname – Reference 

TheKnitWitch. (2007, February 14). Slip slip knit [Video]. YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGwcYW3GG3M

The Art of  Citing a Video

Videos can be a fun way to spice up your paper. Whether you are using a video from YouTube, Vimeo, or any other website, make sure to get your citation and formatting right the first time. And if your teacher calls for a different format, be sure to follow that. 

APA vs MLA Citation Page

FAQ How to Cite YouTube and Other Videos in MLA and APA

Can you cite a youtube video.

Yes, you can cite a YouTube video in APA and MLA format. To cite a video in MLA or APA, you need to include the author, date, title of the video, where you found the video, and URL. The order that you include this information in varies based on the style you use.

How do you MLA cite a YouTube video?

To cite a YouTube video in MLA, you need to include the author's last name, first name, title, website, date, and URL. A YouTube citation in MLA looks like: Barry, Aaron. "Citing in MLA." YouTube, 8 Aug. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=39dfjdf8

How do you cite a YouTube video in APA in text?

To cite a YouTube video in APA in text, you include the author and date for a paraphrased area of information. For a direct quote in-text citation in APA, you include the author, date, and timestamp. An example of a YouTube in-text citation in APA looks like: (Barry, 2019)

How do I cite a video MLA?

To cite a video in MLA, you need the author, "Title of Video," publisher, uploaded by website, date, and URL. You include the period after a URL in MLA for a video citation. Additionally, you include a period after the first two elements of the citation. An MLA video citation looks like: Danny, Lee, director. "The Making of the Dress." Unique Bridal, uploaded by BridalWorld, 1 Aug. 2020, www.bridalworld.com.

How do you in text cite a video?

To create an in-text citation of a video, you need the author or title of the video and the timestamp for a direct quote for MLA. To create an in-text citation in APA, you need to include the video's date as well. In-text citations for a paraphrased quote look like: MLA - (Barry) APA - (Barry, 2020)

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How to Cite a YouTube Video

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Website Book Journal Video

While you might first think of books, newspapers, and journal articles as go-to sources for academic assignments, YouTube provides a wealth of informative, easily accessible videos. Yes, there is questionable content, but the site is also filled with educational channels, snippets from evening news programs, and even full-length documentaries on a range of interesting and scholarly subjects.

Since YouTube has a ton of information, citing a video retrieved from YouTube might seem more difficult than citing a book. But the process is fairly simple—and we’ve put together this helpful guide on how to cite a YouTube video using MLA format , APA format, and Chicago style.

If you’ve previously cited a video from another website, you’re in luck: The process for citing a video from YouTube is basically the same. To provide an example, we’ve cited a video from the CrashCourse YouTube channel—run by “Fault in Our Stars” author John Green—that offers educational videos on a slew of topics, including history, chemistry, and psychology. This particular video is about the US Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism. We’ve laid out how to cite the video in MLA format, APA format, and Chicago style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO7FQsCcbD8

To properly cite a video from YouTube, you must consider the following pieces of information:

• Full name, username, or name of the company that posted the content
• Title of the video
• Title of the website (YouTube)
• Publisher of the video
• Date the video was posted
• Length or duration of the video
• URL or of the video

Use the following structure to cite a YouTube video in MLA 9:

Last name, First name (of the individual who posted the content) OR the name of the company OR the username. “Title of the Video.” Title of the Website , Name of the Publisher that uploaded the video (only include if it differs from the author or title), Date it was uploaded, URL.

Here’s how the above example would be cited in MLA 9 :

CrashCourse. “The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism: Crash Course US History #8.” YouTube , 21 Mar. 2013, youtu.be/bO7FQsCcbD8.

If you need help with in-text and parenthetical citations, CitationMachine.net can help. Our MLA citation generator is simple and easy to use!

Use the following structure to create an APA citation for a YouTube video :

Name of the Account OR Last Name, First initial of uploader [YouTube Account Name]. (Year, Month Day it was posted). Title of the video [Video]. YouTube. URL

Here’s how the above example would be cited in APA:

CrashCourse. (2013, March 21). The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism: Crash course in US History #8 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bO7FQsCcbD8

Use the following structure to cite a YouTube video in Chicago :

Last name, First name of the individual or the company who posted the content. “Title of Video.” YouTube video, length. Date published. URL.

Here’s how the above example would be cited in Chicago :

CrashCourse. “The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism: Crash Course in US History #8.” YouTube video, 13:03. March 21, 2013. https://youtu.be/bO7FQsCcbD8

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Including the name(s) of the video poster is discussed in reference examples 88 and 90 of the APA Publication Manual , 7 th edition. If the video is posted on the organization’s official website, then the speaker or presenter’s name would be listed in the author field. However, if the video is posted on YouTube or any other video sharing site, the name of the account that uploaded the video is listed as the author instead, to aid retrieval.

APA reference list template and examples:

Presenter’s Last Name, F. M. or Uploader’s Last Name, F. M. [Username*]. (Date posted). Title of the video [Video]. Publisher. URL

Cutts, S. (2016, October 18). Are you lost in the world like me? [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/209248444

Fogarty, M. [Grammar Girl]. (2016, September 30). How to diagram a sentence (absolute basics) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zznr-e6A4mQ

Iimjobs. (2020, March 2). Chegg – Life at Chegg | Showcase | iimjobs.com [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Nb3Ebtj9M

*Note: The username should be included if the account holder’s name and account name are both known and if including the username will help in retrieval.

Per the MLA Handbook , 9 th ed., the performer or creator is omitted if they are not mentioned in the source. Instead, the name of the uploader is included in the contributor field.

MLA works cited list template and example:

“Video Name.” Name of the Website , uploaded by Account Name, date video was posted, URL.

“Top 10 Unforgettable Buffy The Vampire Slayer Moments.” YouTube , uploaded by MsMojo, 1 Oct. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKq4SjCPzII.

As per the APA Publication Manual , 7 th edition, the in-text citation for a direct quote from a YouTube video should include the last name of the person who uploaded the video, the year the video was published, and a timestamp of the quote you are citing.

APA in-text citation template and example:

(Uploader Surname, year, HH:MM:SS)

(Cutts, 2016, 1:12:37)

How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Format

Citing a YouTube video in APA format requires certain information, like the real name of the individual who posted the video on YouTube, their YouTube username, the full date when the video was uploaded, the title of the video, and the video’s URL. Give your writing extra polish Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

How to cite a YouTube video in APA format

To cite a YouTube video in APA format, follow this formula:

Real last name, First initial. [Username]. (Year, Month Day). Video title [Video]. YouTube.  URL.

Not all uploaders use their real name as their username or share it in their YouTube bio. So you might have to do additional research to see if the uploader’s real name is published through another primary or secondary source . Below we share guidance on how to treat a citation when you can’t determine the author’s real name.

In another part of the citation, add “[Video]” after the title to describe the content format, followed by a period. Then, cite the website—in this case “YouTube”—followed by a period, before the video’s URL.  

It’s important to note that the “author” is the person or group who uploaded the YouTube video, not necessarily the content creator. 

Below is an example of what an APA citation for a YouTube video might look like:

Richards, L. [Natural World Facts]. (2021, April 13). The fascinating world of Cnidarians  [Video]. YouTube.  https://youtu.be/50Y5sVF5ktQ  

APA parenthetical and in-text citations for YouTube videos

The citation structure for YouTube videos in APA style is straightforward for both parenthetical and in-text citations. The elements included are the author’s name and the upload year of the video.

• Parenthetical citation: (Richards, 2021)
• In-text citation: “Richards (2021) provides commentary on . . . ”

Here’s a tip: Grammarly’s  Citation Generator  ensures your essays have flawless citations and no plagiarism. Try it for tricky APA citations like reviews , search results , and anonymous interviews .

How to cite a YouTube video in APA format without an author’s real name

How you cite a YouTube video in APA style might vary depending on the information you have on hand about the author. If the individual uploader’s real name isn’t available, or the uploader is a group or entity, use their YouTube username or the channel’s name as the author. 

When you cite a YouTube video in APA format and can’t locate an uploader’s real name, your citation might look like this:

TED. (2021, June 2). Yuko Munakata: The science behind how parents affect child  development [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/evw0h1kg-j4  

Another nuance is if the names of the author and the channel are the same. Although it might seem redundant, include the individual’s real name using the author format, and then add the name of the channel in brackets. 

Below is an example of how you’d format your bibliography or reference page:

Luttrell, A. [Andy Luttrell]. (2021, August 2). The psychology of human values with Dr. Greg  Maio (podcast episode) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/VgRrB_Yhc5M  

APA parenthetical and in-text citations without an author’s real name

If the uploader’s real name isn’t available, parenthetical and in-text APA citations for YouTube videos use the name of the YouTube channel instead and the video’s upload year.

• Parenthetical citation: (National Geographic, 2013)
• In-text citation: “A National Geographic (2013) video depicts the foliage . . . ”

How to cite a YouTube channel in APA format

If you need to cite a YouTube channel, not a specific video, for a research paper or other report, additional elements are needed in the citation. Below is what a YouTube channel citation looks like in a bibliography:

Happy Learning English. (n.d.). Home. [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved June 15,  2022, from https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UC8eJxPzmvTb12v7LlZUJcLQ  

Following the author’s name, include “(n.d.)” to denote that no date is associated with the entry. Then, include the channel page in italics, followed by a period. The next element is “YouTube channel” and “YouTube”—all separated by periods. 

The content on a YouTube channel’s pages might change over time, so instead of an upload date, include the date you obtained the information from the URL.

APA parenthetical and in-text citations for a YouTube channel

The parenthetical and in-text citations for a YouTube channel include two elements: the channel’s name and “(n.d.).”

• Parenthetical citation: (Happy Learning English, n.d.)
• In-text citation: “Happy Learning English (n.d.) provides informative . . . ”