How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA

Share to Google Classroom

While doing research for a paper, you may find relevant YouTube videos that yous want to cite. Y'all may already know how to cite a website in APA, but information technology tin can be difficult to know how to cite YouTube in APA style. You may too want to cite quotes within the video, user comments, or entire YouTube accounts.

The guidelines of this page cover APA seventh edition and specifies what you demand to know to cite any various YouTube video content in APA manner. For similar just unlike media, like citing a movie in APA or a tv show,  you'll demand to visit some other guide.

Guide Overview

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

  • Pace-by-step instructions for a YouTube video citation in APA manner
  • Basic YouTube video commendation structure
  • Video with creator's existent name and screen mame
  • Video without uploader's real name OR video by an arrangement
  • Citing a YouTube channel
  • Citing a directly quote from a video
  • Citing a comment on a YouTube video
  • Citing a TED talk constitute on YouTube
  • A notation on APA 7th edition
  • Citing a YouTube video in APA
  • What you lot need
  • Troubleshooting
  • References

Bones YouTube video commendation structure

Reference Page
Structure

Uploader Last Name, Showtime Initial. Middle Initial. [Screen name]. (Yr, Calendar month Day). Title of the video [Video]. Name of website. URL

In-text citation
Structure

(Uploader Last Name OR Screen name, Yr)


Video with creator'due south real proper noun and screen name

Reference Folio
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 commendation
Example

(Bissett, 2016)


Video without uploader'south real name OR video past an organization

If only the screen name is available, yous put the screen name start 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 commendation
Example

(Chegg, 2018)

View Screenshot


Citing a YouTube aqueduct

At present 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'due south Final Proper 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 Aqueduct Uploader'due south Last Name OR Screen proper noun, 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 exist the same equally a commendation for the whole video, your in-text citation will demand a timestamp to help readers easily admission the quote (Publication Manual, p. 274). Information technology is commonly accepted to only include a timestamp for the beginning of the quote, just y'all may utilise a timestamp range if y'all recollect it would exist helpful.

Reference Page
Structure

Uploader'due south Last Proper noun, First Initial. Center Initial. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Solar day). Title of the video [Video]. Name of website. URL

In-text citation
Structure

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


While researching your topic, you lot may find that you want to include a comment left on a YouTube video. Y'all volition need to cite the annotate itself rather than the YouTube video. The format for citing a YouTube comment is similar to citing a YouTube video with a few fundamental differences.

Reference Page
Structure & Example

Commentor's Last Proper name, First Initial. OR Commenter'south Username. (Year, Month Mean solar day). Title of comment OR up to the first 20 words of the comment [Annotate on the video "Championship of video"]. YouTube. URL of YouTube video

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

In-text citation
Structure &

Case

(Commentor'due south Last Proper noun OR Username, Year)

(Blanco, 2021)


Citing a TED talk establish on YouTube

TED Talks are often great sources of data, and they can be establish on both the TED website and on YouTube. When citing a TED Talk institute on YouTube, listing TED equally the author for the in-text citation and the reference folio.

Reference Page
Structure

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

In-text citation
Structure

(TED, 2011)


A notation 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 Transmission of the American Psychological Association(2020, p. 344) clarifies that the uploader of the video is used as the "author" of the video, fifty-fifty if they are non the creator of it.

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


Troubleshooting

Solution #1: How to cite a video when the uploader's real proper noun cannot be found

In APA

When you desire 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 bodily 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 commendation in your bibliography.

Use the username in place of the author'due south proper name for your in-text citation.

Case 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 transmission of the American Psychological Association (seventh 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.


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

To cite a YouTube video, yous demand to have the name of the uploader or the screen proper noun, the full engagement the video was uploaded, the championship of the video, and the URL (uniform resource locator). If any of these details are non available, you can skip it and add just the available data. 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'due south name or Screen name (publication year)

Seburn (2020)

Parenthetical:

(Video uploader's name or Screen proper noun, publication year)

(Seburn, 2020)

Annotation that month and mean solar day are non mentioned in in-text citations.

Reference list entry template and example:

Video uploader'south Surname F. M. [Screen name]. (Publication Year, Month 24-hour interval). 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 subsequently the uploader's name. Set up the title of the video in italics and sentence example. The word "Video" follows the title in square brackets. Use the give-and-take "YouTube" before the URL.

How do I cite a movie, Idiot box show, or streaming video in APA manner?

Film

To cite a movie in APA style, it is important that yous know bones data such as the name of the director, the engagement, the title of the movie, and the proper name of the production company.

In-text commendation template and example:

Narrative:

Director Surname (Year)

Coppola (1972)

Parenthetical:

(Director Surname, Year)

(Coppola, 1972)

Reference list entry template and example:

Director'due south Surname, F. M. (Director). (Yr). Title of the moving-picture show [Movie]. Product Company.

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

Telly series

To cite a TV serial in APA mode, it is important that you know basic information such every bit the name of the executive producer, the date, the title of the Television receiver series, and the name of the product visitor.

In-text commendation template and case:

Narrative:

Executive Producer Surname(s) (Twelvemonth/s)

Crane and Kauffman (1994–2004)

Parenthetical:

(Executive Producer Surnames, Year/due south)

(Crane & Kauffman, 1994–2004)

Reference listing entry template and example:

Executive Producer'due south Surname, F. Thou. (Executive Producers). (Twelvemonth). Title of the TV evidence [TV series]. Production Company.

Crane, D., & Kauffman, One thousand. (Executive Producers). (1994–2004). Friends [Boob tube series]. Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions.

Streaming video

To cite a streaming video in APA style, information technology is of import that yous know basic data such every bit the name of the person or group who uploaded the video (or their username), the yr, month, and 24-hour interval the video was uploaded, the championship of the video, the streaming service, and the URL.

In-text citation template and instance:

Narrative:

Video uploader's surname or username (Yr)

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 yous want to include the username with the uploader's full name, include it in foursquare brackets afterwards the uploader's name. Set the title of the video in italics and judgement instance. The word "[Video]" follows the title. Use the streaming service'south title, "YouTube," earlier the URL.