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How to cite a YouTube video
For a YouTube video, the channel that uploaded it usually takes the author position. You need the upload date, the video title and the URL. Paste the link into the generator and the title and channel come straight from YouTube.
Examples in each style
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2014, July 1). The immune system explained I – bacteria infection [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s
Parenthetical: (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 2014)
Narrative: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2014)
“The Immune System Explained I – Bacteria Infection.” YouTube, uploaded by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 1 July 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s.
Parenthetical: (“The Immune System Explained”)
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.”
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2014) The Immune System Explained I – Bacteria Infection. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s.
Citation: (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 2014)
Narrative: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2014)
What to watch out for
- 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).
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2014, July 1). The immune system explained I – bacteria infection [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s
In-text citation
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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Questions students ask
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.