With more and more information being provided on platforms like YouTube, citing sources for your inquiry projects can be tricky. Whether you're using MLA or APA, the unabridged format can change if the uploader is different from the author, or if you lot are citing an interview on Youtube versus a regular video.

Here'south how to cite a YouTube video in APA and MLA formats, so you never take to worry about improper bibliographies again.

MLA and APA Citation Basics

Earlier we get started, information technology's important to understand the contents of MLA and APA citations for online videos. Fortunately, these types of MLA and APA citations both largely contain the aforementioned information.

Here'due south a breakdown of the data included in both MLA and APA citations for YouTube videos:

  • Name: The full name refers to the bodily person who uploaded the video—this is non necessarily the same as the person who is depicted in the video. If you lot were watching a Lady Gaga video, but it was uploaded by GagaFanatic20, yous would want to use the screen name for GagaFanatic20, or their existent name (if available).
  • Date: The year, calendar month, and day the video was published. Keep in heed that this is not the date y'all institute the video or the date you are writing your article.
  • Championship : Use the title of the video.
  • URL: The site where you found the video—YouTube, in this instance—and the URL of the video. Don't include any tracking parameters in your URL if you found it through another site, like Facebook.

How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA

Citing a YouTube video isn't much unlike than citing other sources similar PowerPoint presentations. Y'all demand to include equally much data every bit possible, then the reader can discover the video at a later time.

Your citation volition include the total name and/or channel name of the uploader, the publication date, the title of the video, the hosting website (YouTube in this case), and the URL for the video.

Follow the format below for APA citations:

            Total Name [Screen Name]. (year, month day).              Championship                of                video</em> [Video]. YouTube. http:/                /youtube.com/XXXX                      

Case:

              Miles Beckler. (2019, August five).                <em>What Is SEO                &                How Does It Piece of work? 100% Free Beginner's Guide To SEO                  em>. [Video]. YouTube. https://world wide web.youtube.com/watch?v=n66BZKC9Ibo            

If y'all're quoting or referring to a specific part of a video, y'all will need to include a timestamp in your in-text citation, pointing to the exact moment of the video you are referencing. For example, "(GagaFanatic20, 2016)" or "(GagaFanatic, 2016, 0:45)"

Citing a YouTube Channel in APA

If you want to cite a YouTube channel instead of an private video, you will follow a slightly dissimilar format:

              Concluding name, Initials [Channel name]. (north.d.).                <em>Abode                  em> [YouTube aqueduct]. YouTube. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL            

Example:

              Becker, Yard.B. [Miles Beckler]. (due north.d).Home</em> [Youtube channel]. Youtube. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https:/                  /www.youtube.com/channel/UC7RZRFCrN4XKoMsy5MgJKrg                          

As you can see, yous don't demand to include the date that the aqueduct was really published. Instead, you lot'll merely write north.d. (no date).

"Home" refers to the channel's homepage. And instead of including "video" to let people know virtually the media type, merely write "YouTube channel" in its place. You'll as well desire to add together the date that you found the channel, followed past the URL of the channel's homepage.

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

Even though MLA citations will follow a slightly dissimilar format, the information will mostly remain the same. In your citation, include the title of the video, the website yous found the video on, the screen name of the uploader, the publish appointment, and URL:

                                  "Title of video."                  YouTube,</em> uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, world wide web.youtube.com/xxxxx.                              

Example:

                  "What Is SEO                    &                    How Does It Piece of work? 100% Free Beginner's Guide To SEO."                    <em>YouTube                      em>, uploaded by Miles Beckler, v Aug. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?five=n66BZKC9Ibo.                

You'll also follow this format if the uploader was the same person as the author of the video. If the person who authored the video is not the same equally the person who uploaded it, you will need to put their full name before the title of the video, as shown below:

                  Author concluding name, First Name.                    "Championship of video."                    YouTube,</em> uploaded by Screen Name, day calendar month year, world wide web.youtube.com/xxxxx.                                  

Example:

                    Smith, Elliot.                      "Elliott Smith - Between The Bars."                      YouTube</em>, uploaded past Joe Mullan, 25 Sept. 2006, www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4cJv6s_Yjw.                                      

Different APA style, which requires you to italicize the name of the video, you will have to italicize "YouTube" in MLA format. The engagement notwithstanding refers to the publish date and non the engagement y'all wrote the article or plant the video.

When writing your in-text citations, write the writer'southward last name followed by the timestamp of the video. If the author is the same as the uploader, or if y'all don't have the writer'south terminal proper name, just employ the championship of the video:

  • (Last name, 00:01:15 - 00:02:00)
  • ("Title of video," 00:01:15 - 00:02:00)

Citing a YouTube Interview in MLA

If you are citing an interview on YouTube, apply the interviewee's name as the author, while also including the YouTube aqueduct'southward proper noun.

Example:

                      Lady Gaga.                        "73 Questions With Lady Gaga."                        YouTube</em>, uploaded by Vogue, 17 December. 2016, https:/                          /www.youtube.com/sentry?5=q9qZveIjXp4.                                          

If you lot're citing a whole picture or Tv set bear witness that was uploaded to YouTube, use the MLA movie citation format instead. If y'all're still a little confused, Google Docs has add-ons that make your citations and bibliographies easier to write.

Where You lot Can Find YouTube Commendation Data

Lady Gaga on Youtube citation information

All the data that you need for your YouTube citations tin can be found directly beneath the video you are citing.

The championship, publish appointment, and author name will exist on the left side, directly under the video. Write the name of the channel exactly as it appears on screen, but make certain the YouTube title follows APA and MLA capitalization rules.

To find the URL, click on the Share push nether the video on the right side. Click on the Re-create button to re-create the URL directly to your clipboard. Then, paste the URL directly into the citation. This will keep you from copying improper URLs that contain extra tracking parameters.

Easily Write YouTube Citations in MLA and APA Format

YouTube citations need to include relevant information to help your readers observe the video you referenced. Citations can exist a lot of work, and if you're tired of doing everything past hand, simply employ an automatic citation app instead.

5 Automatic Commendation Apps That Make Bibliographies Easier to Write

Read Next

About The Writer