How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA

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While doing research for a paper, you may find relevant YouTube videos that you want to cite. You may already know how to cite a website in APA, but it can be difficult to know how to cite YouTube in APA style. You may also want to cite quotes within the video, user comments, or entire YouTube accounts.

The guidelines of this page cover APA 7th edition and specifies what you need to know to cite any various YouTube video content in APA style. For similar but different media, like citing a movie in APA or a tv show,  you’ll need to visit another guide.

Guide Overview

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

Basic YouTube video citation structure

Reference Page
Structure

Uploader Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of the video [Video]. Name of website. URL

 

In-text citation
Structure

(Uploader Last Name OR Screen name, Year)

 


Video with creator’s real name and screen name

Reference Page
Example

Bissett, A. [Ariel Bissett]. (2016, May 28). Some thoughts on the catcher in the rye [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRj4R0hgi8w

 

In-text citation
Example

(Bissett, 2016)

 


Video without uploader’s real name OR video by an organization

If only the screen name is available, you put the screen name first in the citation and omit the “[Screen name]” part of the citation.

Reference Page
Example

Chegg. (2018, November 15). How to cite quotes to avoid plagiarism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4gmmme8HjQ

View Screenshot

In-text citation
Example

(Chegg, 2018)

View Screenshot


Citing a YouTube channel

Now that you know how to cite YouTube in APA style, you may need more specific information on citing channels, quotes, or comments.

 

Reference Page
Structure & Example

YouTube Channel Uploader’s Last Name, First Initial OR Screen name. (n.d.) Home [YouTube Channel]. URL of YouTube channel

The Guardian. (n.d.) Home [YouTube Channel]. https://www.youtube.com/guardian

In-text citation
Structure &

Example

(YouTube Channel Uploader’s Last Name OR Screen name, n.d.)

(The Guardian, n.d.)

 


Citing a direct quote from a video

You may want to include a direct quote from a YouTube video within your paper. While your reference page citation for the quote will be the same as a citation for the whole video, your in-text citation will need a timestamp to help readers easily access the quote (Publication Manual, p. 274). It is commonly accepted to only include a timestamp for the beginning of the quote, but you may use a timestamp range if you think it would be helpful.

Reference Page
Structure

Uploader’s Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of the video [Video]. Name of website. URL

In-text citation
Structure

(Author/Creator Last Name OR screen name, Year, Timestamp 0:00)

 


Citing a comment on a YouTube video

While researching your topic, you may find that you want to include a comment left on a YouTube video. You will need to cite the comment itself rather than the YouTube video. The format for citing a YouTube comment is similar to citing a YouTube video with a few key differences.

Reference Page
Structure & Example

Commentor’s Last Name, First Initial. OR Commenter’s Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of comment OR up to the first 20 words of the comment [Comment on the video “Title of video”]. YouTube. URL of YouTube video

Blanco, B. (2021, November 21). My favorite Jackson… in the entire Galaxy! 💕 [Comment on video “Essentials for indoor cat happiness”]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaVttlOqcX4

In-text citation
Structure &

Example

(Commentor’s Last Name OR Username, Year)

(Blanco, 2021)


Citing a TED talk found on YouTube

TED Talks are often great sources of information, and they can be found on both the TED website and on YouTube. When citing a TED Talk found on YouTube, list TED as the author for the in-text citation and the reference page.

Reference Page
Structure

TED (2011, January 3). The power of vulnerability [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

In-text citation
Structure

(TED, 2011)


A note on APA 7th edition

The 7th edition of the APA Manual came out in 2020, replacing the 6th edition that came out in 2009. There are a few changes in the newest manual that apply when you need to cite YouTube video APA style.


Citing a YouTube video in APA


Who is the author?

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020, p. 344) clarifies that the uploader of the video is used as the “author” of the video, even if they are not the creator of it.

Further information on citing in APA can be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association in Section 10.12.


Troubleshooting

Solution #1: How to cite a video when the uploader’s real name cannot be found

In APA

When you want to cite a video from YouTube, Vimeo, or any other video-hosting sites, but cannot find the uploader’s real name, use their username in place of their actual name in your APA works-cited citation.

If using a username in place of a typical name, keep the same format and case of the username as it is discovered online, and omit the bracketed “username” part of your APA citation in your bibliography.

Use the username in place of the author’s name for your in-text citation.

Example in-text citation:

(videogamedunkey, 2021)

Example reference:

videogamedunkey. (2021, September 21). Originality in video games [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQzTtsr3AQ


References

American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10/1037/0000165-000


Published July 21, 2014. Updated April 16, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.


 

 

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What is the proper way to cite a YouTube video in APA?

To cite a YouTube video, you need to have the name of the uploader or the screen name, the full date the video was uploaded, the title of the video, and the URL (uniform resource locator). If any of these details are not available, you can skip it and add only the available information. The templates for in-text citations and reference list entries of a YouTube video along with examples are given below.

In-text citation templates and examples:

Narrative:

Video uploader’s name or Screen name (publication year)

Seburn (2020)

Parenthetical:

(Video uploader’s name or Screen name, publication year)

(Seburn, 2020)

Note that month and day are not mentioned in in-text citations.

Reference list entry template and example:

Video uploader’s Surname F. M. [Screen name]. (Publication Year, Month Day). Video title [Video]. YouTube. URL

Seburn, C. [Smart Screen]. (2020, May 20). Welcome to the smart student! (Introductory video) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/wz9kb_cQ57Y

If you want to include the screen name, include it in square brackets after the uploader’s name. Set the title of the video in italics and sentence case. The word “Video” follows the title in square brackets. Use the word “YouTube” before the URL.

How do I cite a movie, TV show, or streaming video in APA style?

Movie

To cite a movie in APA style, it is important that you know basic information such as the name of the director, the date, the title of the movie, and the name of the production company.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Director Surname (Year)

Coppola (1972)

Parenthetical:

(Director Surname, Year)

(Coppola, 1972)

Reference list entry template and example:

Director’s Surname, F. M. (Director). (Year). Title of the movie [Film]. Production Company.

Coppola, F. F. (Director). (1972). The godfather [Film]. Alfran Productions.

TV series

To cite a TV series in APA style, it is important that you know basic information such as the name of the executive producer, the date, the title of the TV series, and the name of the production company.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Executive Producer Surname(s) (Year/s)

Crane and Kauffman (1994–2004)

Parenthetical:

(Executive Producer Surnames, Year/s)

(Crane & Kauffman, 1994–2004)

Reference list entry template and example:

Executive Producer’s Surname, F. M. (Executive Producers). (Year). Title of the TV show [TV series]. Production Company.

Crane, D., & Kauffman, M. (Executive Producers). (1994–2004). Friends [TV series]. Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions.

Streaming video

To cite a streaming video in APA style, it is important that you know basic information such as the name of the person or group who uploaded the video (or their username), the year, month, and day the video was uploaded, the title of the video, the streaming service, and the URL.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Video uploader’s surname or username (Year)

Stanford (2010)

Parenthetical:

(Video uploader’s surname or username, Year)

(Stanford, 2010)

Reference list entry template and example:

Video uploader’s Surname F. M. [Username]. (Publication Year, Month Day). Video title. [Video]. YouTube. URL

Stanford. [Smart Screen]. (2010, March 29). Introduction to human behavioral biology. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnIGh9g6fA

If you want to include the username with the uploader’s full name, include it in square brackets after the uploader’s name. Set the title of the video in italics and sentence case. The word “[Video]” follows the title. Use the streaming service’s title, “YouTube,” before the URL.