With more and more data 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 tin change if the uploader is different from the author, or if you are citing an interview on Youtube versus a regular video.

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

MLA and APA Commendation Basics

Before we become started, information technology's important to sympathise 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'south a breakdown of the information 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 not necessarily the aforementioned as the person who is depicted in the video. If you were watching a Lady Gaga video, but it was uploaded past GagaFanatic20, you lot would desire to utilize the screen name for GagaFanatic20, or their real name (if available).
  • Date: The year, month, and twenty-four hours the video was published. Keep in mind that this is non the appointment yous found the video or the date you are writing your commodity.
  • Championship : 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 similar PowerPoint presentations. Yous need to include as much information as possible, so the reader can find the video at a later fourth dimension.

Your citation volition include the full name and/or aqueduct name of the uploader, the publication appointment, 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]. (twelvemonth, month day).            Title of video            [Video]. YouTube. http://youtube.com/XXXX

Instance: 

          Miles Beckler. (2019, August five).            What Is SEO & How Does It Work? 100% Free Beginner'due south Guide To SEO. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n66BZKC9Ibo

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

Citing a YouTube Channel in APA

If yous want to cite a YouTube channel instead of an individual video, y'all volition follow a slightly different format:

          Terminal name, Initials [Channel proper name]. (n.d.).            Home            [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved Month Mean solar day, Year, from URL

Example: 

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

As you tin can meet, you don't demand to include the date that the aqueduct was really published. Instead, you'll but write n.d. (no date).

"Dwelling" refers to the channel's homepage. And instead of including "video" to let people know virtually the media type, just write "YouTube channel" in its identify. Y'all'll also desire to add the date that you found the aqueduct, 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 yous found the video on, the screen name of the uploader, the publish engagement, and URL:

                      "Title of video."            YouTube,            uploaded by Screen Name, day month twelvemonth, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

Example: 

                      "What Is SEO & How Does Information technology Work? 100% Gratuitous Beginner's Guide To SEO."            YouTube, uploaded by Miles Beckler, 5 Aug. 2019, www.youtube.com/scout?v=n66BZKC9Ibo.

You lot'll as well follow this format if the uploader was the aforementioned person equally 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 total proper name before the title of the video, equally shown below:

          Author last proper noun, First Name.            "Championship of video."            YouTube,            uploaded by Screen Name, day calendar month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

Instance: 

          Smith, Elliot.            "Elliott Smith - Between The Bars."            YouTube, uploaded past Joe Mullan, 25 Sept. 2006, world wide web.youtube.com/picket?v=p4cJv6s_Yjw.

Unlike APA fashion, which requires you to italicize the proper name of the video, you lot will take to italicize "YouTube" in MLA format. The date all the same refers to the publish appointment and not the date you wrote the article or found the video.

When writing your in-text citations, write the author's final name followed past the timestamp of the video. If the author is the same every bit the uploader, or if you don't take the author's last proper noun, only utilise 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, apply the interviewee'southward proper noun as the author, while also including the YouTube channel'due south proper name.

Instance: 

          Lady Gaga.            "73 Questions With Lady Gaga."            YouTube, uploaded by Vogue, 17 Dec. 2016, https://world wide web.youtube.com/spotter?v=q9qZveIjXp4.

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

Where You lot Can Observe YouTube Commendation Information

Lady Gaga on Youtube citation information

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

The championship, publish date, and writer name will be on the left side, directly nether the video. Write the name of the aqueduct exactly equally it appears on screen, but make sure the YouTube title follows APA and MLA capitalization rules.

To notice the URL, click on the Share button under the video on the correct side. Click on the Copy button to copy the URL straight to your clipboard. So, paste the URL straight into the citation. This volition go along 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 y'all're tired of doing everything by hand, only use an automatic citation app instead.