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How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024.

To cite a YouTube video in APA Style, you include the person or organization that uploaded it, their channel name (if different from their real name), the upload date, the video title (italicized), “Video” in square brackets, the name of the site,  and a link to the video.

Note that the same format works for other video sites like Vimeo; just replace “YouTube” with the name of whatever site the video is from. APA TV show citations are different.

Cite a YouTube video in APA Style now:

Table of contents, where to find citation information for a youtube video, authors and channel names, in-text citations for youtube videos, how to cite a youtube channel.

The information you’ll need for your citation is easy to locate on YouTube. It’s located just below the video, as shown in the image below.

The “author” of a YouTube video is not necessarily the person or group who created the video. Instead, APA requires you to list the uploader of the video in the author position. This makes it easier for the reader to locate the video.

If the uploader is an individual whose real name is known and is different from their channel name, both should be included. The real name is written in the standard format, while the channel name follows in square brackets and is written exactly as it is on YouTube, retaining any unconventional capitalization or spacing.

If the author’s real name is unknown or the uploader is not an individual, the channel name is included alone, with no brackets.

Where the channel name is the same as the author’s real name, it only needs to be written once:

For an in-text citation of a YouTube video, use whichever name appears first in the full citation, whether that’s a real name or a channel name:

• (Stevens, 2017)
• (University of Oxford, 2019)

When you quote or refer to a specific part of a video, include a timestamp pointing to the relevant moment in the video:

If the person quoted is not the uploader, it’s best to specify their identity in the text, as in this TED Talk citation :

Sometimes you might need to cite a whole channel instead of a single video, as when you’re discussing a channel’s content in general.

In this case, don’t include the year the channel was created – just use “n.d.” (no date) as it’s the current content of the channel that’s relevant. Write “YouTube channel” instead of “Video” in the square brackets, and include a retrieval date, since channel content will change over time.

“Home” refers to the homepage of the channel; if you’re citing something else like the videos or playlists tab, replace accordingly:

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/youtube/

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APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Films/Videos/TV Shows

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Film or Video

Streaming Video From a Website (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)

Streaming video from a subscription media website (netflix, amazon prime, hulu, etc.), streaming video from a library database, television series episode.

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

Who to Credit - Film or Video

The director should be credited as the author of a film. If the director is unknown, someone in a similar role, such as a producer and/or writer, can be credited. To clarify what role the person has in the production, their job title such as Director is put after their name in round brackets if the job title is known.

Who to Credit - Streaming Video from a Website

For videos from websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, credit the person who posted the content. If a real name is provided, use that followed by the person's user name in square brackets. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, just use their user name without brackets.

Note : It is not necessary to specify how you watched a film or video (e.g. motion picture, DVD, streaming online). 

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

• APA 7th ed. Sample Paper

Film or Video

When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is known:

Director/Producer/Writer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title). (Year film was produced).  Title of film: Subtitle if any  [Film]. Production Company.

Note: For other countries, list the city name and the country.

Hallam, J. (Producer, Writer), & Lam, K. (Producer, Director). (2010).  Staff relations in healthcare: Working as a team  [Film]. Insight Media.

• When you have more than one producer, writer and/or writer to credit, separate the names with a comma and put an ampersand (&) before the last person's last name.
• Serling, R. (Executive Producer). (1959–1964). The twilight zone [TV series]. Cayuga Productions; CBS Productions.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010)

Note: This example has two people to credit, so both last names are given)

In-Text Quote:

(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010, 2:30)

Note: Because the timestamp serves the same purpose in a video as page numbers, paragraph numbers or section headings, you include it in the in-text citation. Include only the beginning timestamp.

When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is not known:  Start the citation with the film title.

Title of film: Subtitle if any  [Film]. (Year film was produced). Production Company if Known.

Era of viruses  [Film]. (2006). Films for the Humanities and Sciences.

( Title of Film , Year)

Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006)

Note: Italicize the title of the film and capitalize the words for the in-text citation.

( Title of Film , Year, Timestamp)

Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006, 40:00)

When the Poster's Name is known: 

Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. of person who posted the video if known. [User name that posted the video]. (Year video was posted, Month Day).  Title of video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

Note: According to APA, for citing purposes the person who posted the video is credited as the author.

Nye, B. [TheRealBillNye]. (2009, April 8).  Bill Nye the science guy on energy  [Video]. YouTube. http://youtu.be/0ASLLiuejAo

(Creator's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Nye, 2009)

(Creator's Last Name, Year, timestamp)

Example: (Nye, 2009, 0:55)

When the Poster's Name is not known: 

User name that posted the video. (Year video was posted, Month Day).  Title of video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

All Aces Media. (2012, January 19).  Often awesome the series  [Video]. Vimeo. http://vimeo.com/35311255

(User name, Year)

Example: (All Aces Media, 2012)

Example: (All Aces Media, 2012, timestamp)

Producer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Producer). (Year of Publication).  Title of Video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

Note:  When you have one producer (Producer) is used after the producer's name. If you have more than one producer use (Producers) instead.

Allen, T., et. al. (Producers). (2017). The story of Diana  [Video]. Netflix. http://www.netflix.com

(Producer Last name, Year)

Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017)

(Producer Last name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017, 6:45)

Name of Company/Organization that Provided Content or Creator's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. if known. (Year video was created, Month Day if known).  Title of video  [Video]. Database Name.

National Film Board of Canada. (2014).  Making movie history: The women  [Video]. NFB Campus. 

(Name of Company/Organization, Year)

Example: (National Film Board of Canada, 2014)

(Name of Company/Organization, Year, Timestamp)

Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known,  Television series name . Production Company.

Young, R. (Writer, Producer, Director). (2010). Flying cheap (Season 2010, Episode 2) [TV series episode]. In  Frontline . American University School of Communication's Investigative Reporting Workshop.

(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Young, 2010)

(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Young, 2010, 15:38)

Television Series Episode Viewed on a Subscription Media Website 

Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known,  Television series name . Streaming Video Site. URL

Attenborough, D. (Writer). (2001). Ocean world (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In A. Fothergill (Executive producer),  Blue planet: A natural history of the oceans . Netflix. http://www.netflix.com

Example: (Attenborough, 2001)

 (Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Attenborough, 2001, 10:12)

• << Previous: Secondary Sources
• Next: How to Cite: Other >>
• Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 3:40 PM
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA YouTube Citation

How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA

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:

Step-by-step instructions for a YouTube video citation in APA style

Basic youtube video citation structure.

• Video with creator’s real name and screen mame

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

Citing a youtube channel, citing a direct quote from a video, citing a comment on a youtube video, citing a ted talk found on youtube, a note on apa 7th edition, citing a youtube video in apa, what you need, troubleshooting.

• List the real last name of the video’s uploader, capitalizing the first letter. Place a comma after the last name and then list the first initial of their first name, followed by a period. If you find their middle initial, list it after the first initial and period, also followed by a period. If the creator’s name is unavailable, skip this step and begin your citation with the next step.
• Next, using brackets, list the screen name of the video’s uploader as it is spelled on the page. Place a period after the closing bracket.
• Then, in parentheses, put the full numerical year followed by a comma, the full written month starting with a capital letter and followed by a comma, and the numerical day that the video was posted. Close the parentheses and follow with a period.
• Put the title of the video in Italics and in sentence case (only capitalizing the first letter and proper nouns). Do not place a period after the title.
• After the title, put the word Video (for the source format), capitalized, in normal font, and in brackets. Place a period after the closing bracket.
• Put the word YouTube (for the website source name) as it is spelled here, followed by a period.
• List the full URL for the web page containing the YouTube video you are citing. Do not follow with a period.

Note that in your citation, you must indent any lines after the first line. APA-style in-text citations for quoting and paraphrasing are the same for YouTube videos.

Video with creator’s real name and screen name

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.

View Screenshot

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

Instead of citing one particular YouTube video, you may want to cite an entire YouTube channel. While the format is similar to citing a YouTube video, there are a few key differences you can see in the format guidelines below.

• You will always use “n.d.” for “no date” because YouTube channels are undated.
• If you are instead citing another tab of the account (Videos, Playlists, Channels, Discussion, About), put the correct tab name instead of the word “Home.”
• Use the words “YouTube Channel” instead of the name of any specific videos since you’re citing a whole channel (not just one 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.

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.

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.

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.

Notable 7th edition changes include:

• Omission of “Retrieved from” before URLs
• Addition of the website name
• Uses “Video” instead of “Video file.”
• In-text citation format is the same,

APA 6th Edition Reference Page Format:

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

APA 7th Edition Reference Page Format:

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

In-text Citation Format (6th AND 7th Edition): 

(Author/Creator Last Name OR Screen name, Year)

To cite YouTube videos in APA style, you will need certain information. If available, find the following to include in your citation:

• Name of the individual(s) or group who uploaded the video. If it’s an individual, use their real name.
• Video uploader’s screen name
• Date attached to the video (including year, month, date)
• Title of the video
• URL of the video’s webpage

If any of the above information is not available on the same page as the YouTube video, you may need to do a little more research to find it. For example, to find the real name of the video’s uploader, you can click on the screen name to view the creator’s account where you might find their real name in the bio.

If any of the information is not available, even after doing additional research, simply leave it out of the citation, but include the rest of the information following the order of the basic format below.

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.

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

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

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.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

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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:

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.

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:

Director Surname (Year)

Coppola (1972)

(Director Surname, Year)

(Coppola, 1972)

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

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

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.

Executive Producer Surname(s) (Year/s)

Crane and Kauffman (1994–2004)

(Executive Producer Surnames, Year/s)

(Crane & Kauffman, 1994–2004)

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.

Video uploader’s surname or username (Year)

Stanford (2010)

(Video uploader’s surname or username, Year)

(Stanford, 2010)

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.

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How to Cite Videos in APA Format

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

damircudic / Getty Images

What Is APA Format?

• Citing a YouTube Video
• Choosing a YouTube Video
• Citing a Video Podcast

How to Cite a Film or Television Show in APA Format

Frequently asked questions.

While books and journal articles are often the primary sources for psychology papers, it is becoming increasingly common to cite audiovisual sources. The types of videos you might need to cite include streaming movies, television programs, YouTube videos, or other online video clips. If you need to reference a video for a psychology paper, you need to follow APA format to ensure it is cited correctly.

At a Glance

APA format specifies certain guidelines for citing different sources, including videos. This format differs slightly from how you would cite a printed source. It includes information about the video creator, date, and title, much like a printed source. However, it also includes the word [Video] in brackets after the title. Next, the citation should also include the host site and url where the video can be found.

APA format is the official writing style used by the American Psychological Association . Researchers use this style when publishing articles in professional journals. Students also use this style when writing papers for psychology and social science courses, including education and sociology.

One challenge that students may face is figuring out how to cite different types of sources. A citation for a book reference, for example, will look somewhat different than that of an online source. Video content is becoming an increasingly important source of information, so how exactly would you cite something like a YouTube video or other online video in APA format?

APA Format for a YouTube Video

APA format for online videos is similar to that of other types of digital media and online content. The format should be:

• The name of the person and/or the name of the account that uploaded the video
• The specific date the video was uploaded in parentheses
• The title of the video in italics
• The description "[Video]" in brackets after the title
• The site name (such as YouTube, Vimeo, or other source) and the full video URL

Video Citation Example

TED-Ed. (2018, May 21). How to stay calm under pressure. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqgmozFr_GM

Some types of electronic sources need to be surrounded by brackets. According to APA's official style guide, the brackets should surround the necessary content with no spaces between the text and the brackets [like this].

Because many online video creators utilize pseudonyms online, you should also include the author’s screen name in brackets when relevant.

Choosing a Video to Cite in APA Format

It's important that the videos you cite are both reliable and up-to-date. According to APA guidelines, you can determine whether a source is reliable by looking at the author's expertise and the vetting standards of the organization or group that published the video.

For instance, many established organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have YouTube channels and publish videos that would be considered reliable sources.

Even individual researchers or scientists may publish their research on YouTube—just be sure to do the research on the individual to be sure that the videos they post are coming directly from them (and not from someone else), and that this person is accredited or credentialed in the area of study they're presenting.

Try to use up-to-date videos as often as possible to be sure you're including the most recent research in your paper.

Citing a Video Podcast in APA Format

Video podcasts are another type of video format that you may want to cite. Such podcasts often feature interviews with experts, which can be a great source of unique information for your paper.

If you are citing a video podcast, whether it is hosted on YouTube or published on the author’s own website, use the following format:

Video Podcast Example

James, S. (Host). (2019, March 1). Examining the bystander effect (No. 2) [Video podcast]. In This Week in Psychology. Website. http://www.psyyweekly.com/fakepodcasturl

As you can see in the example above, you should begin by listing the author, then identifying them as the host of the program in parentheses. Next, include the date. After that, list the title of the episode, the episode number in parentheses, and the media type in brackets. This should then be followed by the name of the video podcast, the name of the website it was retrieved from, and the URL.

Also note in the above example that the title of the video podcast is in italics. The official APA publication manual states that when written, video, or audio posts are part of an overarching work (such as a blog or podcast series), the title of the total work should be included in italics. This follows the same format that you would use if you were citing an individual chapter that was part of a book.

The format for citing films and television programs is similar to that of online videos, but does not include a page URL.

For a film, the director is cited as the author, followed by the label (Director) in parentheses. The production company should be listed as the publisher. The title should be provided in italics and sentence case. It should then be followed by the label [Film] in brackets.  

For a television program, list the executive producer as the author, followed by the label (Executive producer) in parentheses. Then include the years the show aired in parentheses, followed by the title in italics and sentence case. It should then be followed by the label [TV series] in brackets. Finally, include the name of the production company as the publisher.

Film/TV Show Example

Smith, K. (Director). (2022). The day it happened [Film]. Starling Cinema; Barkly Studios.

Rockland, H. (Executive Producer). (2013-2015). Dark skies [TV series]. Spring Films; ABC Productions.

APA format has many different rules and guidelines for citing various types of sources, so you should always check the official guidebook to make sure that your citations and references are correct. Whenever you cite an online source—whether it's a webpage or a video—you should follow the basic rules for citing electronic sources. This includes listing the author of the video, the date, the title, and the online location of the video.

Always type the creator’s username or screen name exactly as it appears, including both spelling and capitalization.

Include the name of the page or account that uploaded the video. Put this information at the beginning of the citation (where the author's name would go).

On YouTube and many other video platforms, people must publish their content under a username or screen name. While you can sometimes find a person's YouTube page by searching their real name online, you want to be sure to cite their exact username so that someone can find the video you cited.

That depends on the guidelines your instructor gives you. If you are unsure, ask them. But there are reasons why you might want to cite a YouTube video in your academic writing. The video may contain information not available elsewhere, it may feature an interview with an expert on a topic, or it may present unique examples that you want to reference in your paper.

If the name of the person who is interviewed is not mentioned in the title of the video, do not include it in the reference. One way to refer to the interview subject, however, is to refer to them in the text of your paper, where you cite the reference. "For example, Philip Zimbardo noted that... (Psych Interview, 2013)."

American Psychological Association. YouTube Video References .

APA Style Blog, 6th Edition Archive.  How to create a reference for a Youtube video .

American Psychological Association. APA style blog .

Cho D, Cosimini M, Espinoza J. Podcasting in medical education: A review of the literature . Korean J Med Educ . 2017;(29)4:229-239.  doi:10.3946/kjme.2017.69

APA Style. Film and television references .

American Psychological Association. Transcript of an audiovisual work references .

American Psychological Association. YouTube video references .

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

APA Citation Guide (7th edition) : Videos & DVDs

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Streaming video from a website (youtube, vimeo, etc.) - poster's name known, streaming video from a website (youtube, vimeo, etc.) - poster's name not known, streaming movie from a subscription media website or library collection (netflix, amazon prime, hulu, kanopy, etc.), dvd with named producer, director or writer, movie with unknown producer, director and/or writer, television series episode.

Who to Credit - DVD or Film

Many people can be involved in the production of a film but not all need to be listed in the citation. Typically the director is the only name that is used.  If the director is unknown, give credit to someone in a similar role (producer/writer/host etc.).  Their job title (such as Director) is put after their name in round brackets to clarify what role they had in the film production.

Who to Credit - Streaming Video from a Website

For videos from websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, credit the person who posted the content. If a real name is provided, use that followed by the person's user name in square brackets. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, just use their user name without brackets.

Who to Credit - TV Series and TV Series Episode

When citing a whole TV series, credit the executive producer(s).  When citing a single episode from a TV series, credit the writer and the director of the episode. For both series and single episodes, include their job titles after their names in round brackets.

Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. of person who posted the video if known. [User name that posted the video] . (Year video was posted, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Name of Website. URL

Note : According to APA, for citing purposes the person who posted/uploaded the video is credited as the author.

User name that posted the video. (Year video was posted, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Name of Website. URL

Note : According to APA, for citing purposes the person who posted the video is credited as the author.

Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Director). (Year of Publication). Title of Movie [Film]. Production Company. 

Note:  Only specify how you watched a film (on DVD, streaming, etc.) when it is important to indicate a specific version. Put this information in in the square brackets following the word "Film" and a semicolon. If you have more than one director use (Directors) instead and separate their names with commas, adding an ampersand (&) before the final name.  If the director is unknown, credit someone in a similar role (producer/writer) and put their job title in round brackets after their name. 

Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Director). (Year DVD was produced). Title of DVD [Film; optional descriptive information if DVD is a unique version]. Production Company.

Note : In general, you don't need to cite the format of a movie. However, include it if the information you are citing can be found only in that particular format or edition (e.g. special features or commentary).  

Title of movie  [Film]. (Year Movie was Produced). Production Company.

Note : When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is not known, start the citation with the movie title.

Writer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Writer), & Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Director). (Year the episode was originally aired, Month Day if known). Title of episode (Season Number, Episode Number) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive Producer), Television series name . Production Company . 

Note:  Include the writer and director for the episode and put their job title in round brackets after their name.  If one person did both jobs use (Writer & Director).

Cite the URL for the log-in page instead of the URL for the actual movie. Omit the URL if the TV episode was viewed on cable television rather than online.

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• Citing a Video

Citing a Video (APA)

Format:   Author(s). (Date).  Title of video  [Type of Media/Description]. Publisher.

Example: Williams, M. (Producer & Director). (2007). Inside the living body [DVD]. National Geographic.

Helpful Information

For websites, the person or group who uploaded the video is credited as the author. If there is a composer or artist, you would just list their name as well with no label. All other types of authors are labeled in parenthesis. These can be (Writer), (Director), (Host), (Executive Producer), and (Producer).

Usernames can be included in place of author’s real name if real name is not known. If both real name and username are known, include both with username listed second, in brackets.  

For sharing websites, include the date uploaded or posted formatted (Year, Month Day). Example (2024, January 15).

For TV Series, include the date the episode aired  (Year, Month Day). Example (2021, March 24).

For Film or videos, include the year (Year). Example (2004).

For all videos title, capitalize only proper nouns and the first word of the article title and subtitle.

All Uploaded/Films/TV Series Tiles should be italicize. Titles of individual episodes of TV series are not in italics. For the website names, capitalize all the significant words in the title. Do not use italics or quotation marks.

Note: If you mention a video title in your paper, all major words   should be   capitalized and it should be in italics.

Type of Media/ De scription:

Describe the audiovisual work in square brackets []. It is not necessary to specify how you watched a video (e.g., streaming on iTunes etc.), but the format or other descriptive information may be included in brackets following the title. Example: How to diagram a sentence [Video] Other Examples: [DVD], [TV series], [TV series episode], [Film], [Song],

Formatting:

Double space entries. If an entry runs more than one line, use a hanging indent to indent any additional lines beyond the first.

Capitalize proper nouns and the first words of title and subtitle.

Acceptable abbreviations can be found on pp. 306-7 of the APA manual.

If what you are citing is not listed in APA manual, choose the example in the manual most like your source.     

Video on a Websites (APA)

Format:   Author(s). (Year, Month Day).  Title of video  [ Type of Media/ Description]. Website Name. URL

YouTube Example (Single Author):  Green, B. (2015, March 18).  Biology: Cell structure  [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URUJD5NEXC8 

YouTube Example (Group Author): University of Chicago [UofChicago]. (2020, January 15). New research update from department of nursing  [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/23654645 

Vimeo Example:  Smith, M. [Grammar Guru]. (2020, March 8).  Comma mistakes  [Video]. Vimeo. http://www.vimeo.com/235978645 

Present URL’s as hyperlinks beginning with http:// or https:// taking the reader directly to the source.

Film/Video on a Databases (APA)

Format:   Author(s). (Date).  Title of video  [ Type of Media/ Description]. Publishers Name.

TV Episode Format:   Author(s). (Date). Title of episode (Season #, Episode #) [TV series episode]. In Producers of the show (Executive Producers), Title of series. Publishers Name.

Academic Video Online Film Example (1 Author): Loeterman, B. (Writer & Director). (2009). T he people v. Leo Frank [Film]. Ben Leoterman Productions.

Films on Demand TV Episode Example (2 Authors): Sclar, J. & Sclar R. (Hosts). (2012, May 22). Size matters (Season 1, Episode 3) [TV series episode]. In B. Tarver, D. Hoostra, J. Vershoff, K. Druckerman, & P. Cabana (Executive Producers), United stats of America.   Left-Right Films.

Film/Video on Streaming Website (APA)

Hulu Film Example (1 Author): Wilde, O. (Director). (2019) Booksmart [Film]. Annapuna Pictures, Gloria Sanchez Productions.

Netflix TV Series Episode Example (group):  The Duffer Brothers (Writers & Directors). (2017, October 27). Chapter eight: The mind flayer (Season 2, Episode 8) [TV series episode]. In The Duffer Brothers, S. Levy, D. Cohen, B. Wright, C. Holland, J. Mecklenburg, M. Thunell, K. Gajdusek, I. Paterson, C. Gwinn (Executive Producers). Stranger things . 21 Lap Entertainment, Monkey Massacre Productions.

In-Text Citation for a Recording (Video, Film, Audio, etc.)

When citing a direct quotation or paraphrasing specific section or idea in a recording (video, film, audio, etc.), put the author’s last name or user name, the year, a time stamp for the relevant section in parenthesis. Each number section (hours:minutes:seconds) in time stamp should separated by a colon, without space on either side. If not citing a direct quote or paraphrasing specific section or idea in a recording, you do not include the timestamp.

Example (One Author):  "That yearning for justice that I feel" (Ferriss, 2018, 18:23).

Example (Two Authors in the sentence): Sclar & Sclar (2012) said   "United States used to be the tallest nation. Now, many nations are taller, with the US ranked number 8" (2:23-25).

Example: Group or Organization or User Name  Not knowing how to cook means, "you are hostage to the food industry" (Stanford Health Library, 2015, 1:01:29).

Example: User Name and not using a direct quote or paraphrasing   This source gives a real life example of some of the pit falls to dumpster diving when the the police show up to stop the person in the video from recovering the trash (Freakin Frugal, 2021).

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• Writing Tips

APA Referencing – How to Cite a YouTube Video

3-minute read

• 5th November 2016

Not that long ago, the idea of citing a YouTube video in an academic paper would have sent some old-fashioned college professors into fits of outrage. These days, however, there’s no denying that YouTube and other online videos can be crucial academic sources in many subject areas. As such, knowing how to cite an online video source is increasingly useful. Herein, we look at how to do this with APA referencing (7th edition) .

Citing a YouTube Video

To cite an online video APA style, you’ll need to give the uploader’s name and the year the video was uploaded in brackets in the main text of your essay. For instance, we could cite a video uploaded in 2016 by the cultural critic Anita Sarkeesian to her Feminist Frequency YouTube channel as follows:

The trope of the sinister seductress is pervasive in video games (Sarkeesian, 2016).

Here, we cite the “author” of the video because it’s hosted on her own channel.

If you’re quoting part of a video directly, the citation should also include a timestamp :

In the video, Nicky Clayton and Clive Wilkins discuss the “capacity to convey and understand ideas non-verbally” (TEDx Talks, 2013, 3:37).

You’ll notice here that, despite the talk being by Nicky Clayton and Clive Wilkins, we name “TEDx Talks” in the citation. This is because the “TEDx Talks” channel hosts videos by numerous speakers, so Clayton and Wilkins are not the uploaders and, for the sake of citing the source APA style, they do not count as its “authors.”

Reference List

As with other sources, full publication information should be included in the reference list for any online videos you cite in your work. For a YouTube video, this involves providing the following:

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Surname, Initials. [Screen name]. (year, month day). Title of video [Video file]. http://www.URL.com

You’ll notice that this includes both a name and a screen name. This helps readers find the video when the uploader’s real name is different to their username. In the case of the Anita Sarkeesian video cited above, for example, you’d need to provide both:

Sarkeesian, A. [Feminist Frequency]. (2016, September 28). Sinister seductress – tropes vs women in video games [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oXzWzMqarU

If a channel doesn’t provide the uploader’s real name, you only need to give their screen name:

TEDx Talks. (2013, August 19). Conversation without words: Nicky Clayton & Clive Wilkins at TEDxOxbridge [Video file].  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iavquY2OFo

It’s important to remember that the name you should cite in the main text of your work should match the name in the reference list. If they do not match, your reader will not be able to find the source!

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APA Video Citation

Videos are categorized under audiovisual media along with audios and television broadcasts. Though this medium is usually associated with entertainment, it can also be a valuable source of information. In this article, we will discuss how to cite videos.

Let’s begin with the guides in citing the author/s:

Table of Content

• 1.1 One Author
• 1.2.1 Two to Seven Authors
• 1.2.2 More than Seven Authors
• 2 In-Text Citation
• 3.2 Video Blog Post
• 3.3 Video Podcast

Citing the Author

Multiple authors , two to seven authors, more than seven authors, in-text citation.

• The in-text citation is written inside a parenthesis with the last name of the author and year, separated by a comma.

(Santos, 2010)

• If the name of the author is included within the text, only the year is written inside the parenthesis.

Santos (2010)

Reference List

Below are the important elements of an APA video citation.

• Year or date
• Title of video

And here are simple guides in citing a video in the reference list:

• Include as much information available from the source.
• The authors are usually the Producers, Directors and the person who posted the video. Indicate their contributions in a parenthesis after their names.
• Include the format or description of form inside a bracket after the title. The first word of the format starts with a capital letter and the next word is in lowercase (e.g. Video file and Video podcast).
• Use the screen name if the full name of the author is not available.
• For videos posted online, list the exact date of posting with the year first followed by the month and date.
• List the URL for videos retrieved from the web.

Basic Formats: Author (Producer or Director). (Year). Title of Video [Format]. Country: Studio.

Examples: Spielberg, S., Royce, I., Gordon, M., & Levinson, G. (Producers), & Spielberg, S. (Director). (2004).  Saving Private Ryan  [DVD]. United States: Universal.

Basic Formats (if it is available on-line): Author (Producer or Director). (Year). Title of Video [Format]. Available from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Examples: American Psychological Association (Producer). (2000). Responding therapeutically to patient expressions of sexual attraction [DVD]. Available from http://www.apa.org/videos/

Note: After the name, indicate whether the person/s is the Producer or Director in a parenthesis. The name of the Producer/s is listed first before the name of the Director/s.

Video Blog Post

Basic Format: Author. (Date). Title of Video [Format]. Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Example: Norton, R. (2006, November 4). How to train a cat to operate a light switch [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs

Note: Titles of videos from online communities such as blogs, newsgroups, and forums are not italicized.

Video Podcast

Example: Dunning, B. (Producer). (2011, January 12) inFact: Conspiracy theories [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com

How do I cite a video in APA format?

The format for an APA reference for a video is composed of four elements:

• The individual or organization who created the video (Director, Producer, Writer)
• The year the video was published
• The title of the video in italics followed by [Video].
• The publisher, website, or database
• If online, the URL

The format for the reference is:

Creator. (Date). Title [Video]. Publisher. URL

See the following examples:

YouTube video:

TED. (2011, January 3). Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzIF7o

In-Text citation: (TED, 2011).

Video from a Library database: 

Videatives. (2013). Motor development - infants 1-2 years: Stretching the infant's reach [Video]. Films on Demand. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/rasmussen.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffod-infobase-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net%2FPortalPlaylists.aspx%3FwID%3D106986%26xtid%3D189727

Intext citation. (Videatives, 2013).

NOTE: Sometimes you may have in-text citations for different videos that are the same. For example, you could have several Videatives videos that were all published in the same year. According to APA rules, you include an a, b, c, etc. following the year in the in-text citation to distinguish one video from another.

Step 1: Create your reference list. Note that because the beginning of the reference (Author and Date) is the same, you must alphabetize by the title. 

Step 2: Add an a, b, c etc. to the date in BOTH the reference and the intext citation.

Reference: 

Videatives. (2013b). Motor development - infants 1-2 years: Infants explore the harp [Video]. Films on Demand.  https://go.openathens.net/redirector/rasmussen.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffod-infobase-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net%2FPortalPlaylists.aspx%3FwID%3D106986%26xtid%3D189729  

In-text citation: (Videatives, 2013b).

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