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

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

MLA and APA Citation Basics

Before we get started, it'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 same information.

Here's a breakdown of the information included in both MLA and APA citations for YouTube videos:

  • Name: The full name refers to the actual person who uploaded the video—this is not necessarily the same as the person who is depicted in the video. If you were watching a Lady Gaga video, but it was uploaded by GagaFanatic20, you would want to use the screen name for GagaFanatic20, or their real name (if available).
  • Date: The year, month, and day the video was published. Keep in mind that this is not the date you found the video or the date you are writing your article.
  • Title: Use the title of the video.
  • URL: The site where you found the video—YouTube, in this case—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 different than citing other sources like PowerPoint presentations. You need to include as much information as possible, so the reader can find the video at a later time.

Your citation will include the full 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:

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

Example:

        Miles Beckler. (2019, August 5). <em>What Is SEO & How Does It Work? 100% Free Beginner’s Guide To SEO</em>. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n66BZKC9Ibo
    

If you're quoting or referring to a specific part of a video, you 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 individual video, you will follow a slightly different format:

        Last name, Initials [Channel name]. (n.d.). <em>Home</em> [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
    

Example:

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

As you can see, you don't need to include the date that the channel was actually published. Instead, you'll just write n.d. (no date).

"Home" refers to the channel's homepage. And instead of including "video" to let people know about the media type, just write "YouTube channel" in its place. You'll also want to add the date that you found the channel, followed by the URL of the channel's homepage.

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

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

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

Example:

        "What Is SEO & How Does It Work? 100% Free Beginner’s Guide To SEO." <em>YouTube</em>, uploaded by Miles Beckler, 5 Aug. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=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 as the person who uploaded it, you will need to put their full name before the title of the video, as shown below:

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

Example:

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

Unlike APA style, which requires you to italicize the name of the video, you will have to italicize "YouTube" in MLA format. The date still refers to the publish date and not the date you wrote the article or found the video.

When writing your in-text citations, write the author's last name followed by the timestamp of the video. If the author is the same as the uploader, or if you don't have the author's last name, just use the title 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, use the interviewee's name as the author, while also including the YouTube channel's name.

Example:

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

If you're citing a whole movie or TV show that was uploaded to YouTube, use the MLA movie citation format instead. If you're still a little confused, Google Docs has add-ons that make your citations and bibliographies easier to write.

Where You Can Find YouTube Citation Information

Lady Gaga on Youtube citation information

All the information that you need for your YouTube citations can be found directly below the video you are citing.

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

To find the URL, click on the Share button under the video on the right side. Click on the Copy button to copy 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 find the video you referenced. Citations can be a lot of work, and if you're tired of doing everything by hand, just use an automatic citation app instead.