How to Cite a YouTube Video: A Complete Guide for APA, MLA, and More Formats

Importance of Citing YouTube Videos in Your Works

YouTube has become an invaluable resource for educational content, offering a vast array of videos on a wide variety of subjects. While these videos can be highly informative, it's crucial to acknowledge their contribution to your academic work through proper citation.

Citing YouTube videos demonstrates your respect for the creators' intellectual property, adds credibility to your research, and helps your readers to easily locate and find the video you reference. Generally speaking, the full name or the screen name of whoever uploaded the video to YouTube, publication date, video title, hosting website and the video URL are required when you cite a video from YouTube.

How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Format: Step-by-Step Guide

The APA style is widely used in the social and behavioral sciences. Here's a step-by-step guide to citing a YouTube video in APA format:

1. Identify the author. If the creator's name is available, list it in the author position. If not, use the channel name.

2. Provide the date of upload. This is typically found in the video's description or title.

3. Include the video title. Place the title in italics. Include [Video] after the title. [Video] is not italicized.

4. Host siting name. In our case, it is YouTube.

5. Add the URL. The full URL of the video should be provided.

Structure	Author or Channel Name. Day Month Year, “Title of Video.” [Video], Video URL
Example	Liu, Jessica,15 Nov. 2018, “Prevent Plagiarism in 5 Steps.” [Video], www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lxBP1LtFDY

How to Handle Missing Information in APA Citations for YouTube

Sometimes, YouTube videos may lack essential information like the author or upload date. In such cases, follow these guidelines:

• Missing author: Use the channel name in place of the author.
• Missing year: Use the abbreviation "n.d." (no date).
• Missing title: Use a brief, descriptive title in brackets.

Example:

Channel Name. (n.d.). [Brief, descriptive title] [Video]. Retrieved from URL

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used in the humanities. You start the citation off with Author name, the title of the video in quotation marks. The name of the website, YouTube, comes next, followed by the name of the YouTube channel, also called the video uploader. Finally, include the URL of the video and the date the video was uploadedat the end of the citation.

1. Identify the author or channel name.

2. Provide the video title.

3. Specify the platform. In this case, it's "YouTube."

4. Add the date of access.

5. Include the URL.

Structure	Author or Channel Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Name of YouTube Account, URL,  Day Month Year, URL.
Example	Liu, Jessica, “Prevent Plagiarism in 5 Steps.” YouTube, uploaded by Chegg, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lxBP1LtFDY, 15 Nov. 2018,

MLA In-Text Citation for YouTube Videos

When referring to a YouTube video in your MLA-style paper, use the author's last name or channel name and the page number (if available). If there's no page number, use a timestamp instead.

Example:

According to Smith (5:23), "The experiment results were inconclusive."

How to Cite a YouTube Video in Chicago Style

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) offers two citation styles: author-date and notes-bibliography. Here's a breakdown of both:

1. Identify the author or channel name.

2. Include the Year in which the video was uploaded. 

3. Provide the video title. Additional information.

4. Include the specific date (Month Day, Year.) on which the video was uploaded. 

5. Video format.

6. Video length.

7. Video URL.

Structure	Author last name, First name. Year. “Video Title.” Additional information. Month Day, Year. Format, Video length. URL.
Example	Liu, Jessica. 2021. “How to Write a Strong Essay Conclusion.” Scribbr. February 8, 2021. Educational video, 3:50. https://youtu.be/2UElC_YZ0Eo.

Special Considerations for YouTube Video Citations in Chicago Style

• Notes-bibliography style: In the footnotes or endnotes, provide the full citation. In the bibliography, include a shortened version.
• Corporate authorship: If the video is produced by a corporation or organization, list it as the author.

How to Cite a YouTube Video with No Author or Missing Details

If a YouTube video lacks essential information, follow these guidelines:

• Missing author: Use the channel name or a brief, descriptive title.
• Missing title: Use a descriptive title in brackets.
• Missing upload date: Use "n.d."

Example:

YouTube Channel. "How to Make a Paper Airplane" [Video]. URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Bonus Info: Comparing APA, MLA, and Chicago Citation Styles

While all three styles share similarities in citing YouTube videos, there are key differences:

The APA style is based on the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. It focuses on writing style and source citations. Emphasizes the author and publication date.

MLA (abbreviation of Modern Language Association) style is based in part on the  MLA Handbook .  The latest edition of the handbook focuses exclusively on how to cite sources. Prioritizes the author and title.

Chicago style is based on The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS for short). It is the guide of choice for many book publishers, and it’s also used by writers and editors in many academic fields, especially in the humanities and social sciences.

By understanding these nuances and following the guidelines provided, you can effectively cite YouTube videos in your academic work, ensuring the integrity of your research.