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Chicago YouTube video citation
The Chicago 18th edition (notes & bibliography) format for a YouTube video, a finished example, and a generator below that fills it in for you.
Channel Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, Month Day, Year. Video, length. URL.
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. “The Immune System Explained I – Bacteria Infection.” YouTube, July 1, 2014. Video, 6:47. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s.
Full note: 1. Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, “The Immune System Explained I – Bacteria Infection,” YouTube, July 1, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s.
Short note: 2. Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, “The Immune System Explained.”
Watch out: Add “Video” and the running time after the date, for example: Video, 6:47.
Your citation types itself here as you fill in the form — or auto-fill it above.
Formatting runs in your browser. Auto-fill uses Crossref (DOI), Open Library and Google Books (ISBN) and the page’s own metadata (URL). Always check against the source.
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Tips for citing a YouTube video
- The upload date is under the video title (click “more” on mobile). YouTube’s link preview does not include it, so add it yourself.
- APA 7 adds [Video] after the title and names YouTube as the publisher.
- MLA 9 starts with the title and adds “uploaded by” the channel, unless the channel is also the creator.
- To cite a moment in the video, add a timestamp to the in-text citation, e.g. (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 2014, 2:15).
See this source in all four styles side by side: how to cite a youtube video. For the rest of the paper, read the Chicago format guide.
Chicago YouTube video citation questions
What is the Chicago format for a YouTube video?
Channel Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, Month Day, Year. Video, length. URL.
What do students most often get wrong?
Add “Video” and the running time after the date, for example: Video, 6:47.
Who is the author of a YouTube video?
The person or organisation that uploaded it (the channel). If you know the real name behind a channel, APA puts it first with the handle in square brackets.
Should I cite the channel or the original creator if it was re-uploaded?
Cite the version you watched, and name the channel that uploaded it. If an official upload exists, it is better to find and cite that one.
Is the video title in italics?
In APA 7 and Harvard yes (it is a stand-alone work). In MLA and Chicago the video title goes in quotation marks, because YouTube is the container.