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How to cite a YouTube video
A YouTube video is cited by whoever uploaded it, the date it went up and its link. The details differ from style to style, and the timestamp rules are where people slip.
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The same source in all seven styles
One video, the first ever uploaded to YouTube, in all seven styles. These are not typed out by hand: they come from the same formatter that writes your reference above, so what you read here is what you will get.
APA 7
jawed. (2005, April 23). Me at the zoo [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw
MLA 9
"Me at the zoo." YouTube, uploaded by jawed, 23 Apr. 2005, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw.
Harvard
jawed (2005) Me at the zoo [Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw
Chicago 18
jawed. "Me at the zoo." YouTube video, April 23, 2005. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw.
IEEE
jawed, "Me at the zoo," YouTube, Apr. 23, 2005. [Online Video]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw
Vancouver
jawed. Me at the zoo [video]. YouTube; 2005 Apr 23. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw
AMA 11
jawed. Me at the zoo. YouTube. Published April 23, 2005. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw
Plain text cannot carry italics. Where a style italicises a title, apply it in your document after pasting.
What you need, and where to find it
Channel
The name of the channel exactly as YouTube shows it under the video, odd capitals included. If a named person made the video, APA puts their name first and the channel in square brackets after it.
Upload date
The date shown under the video's title, with the day and month as well as the year. APA and MLA both use the full date.
Title
The video's title as it appears. APA writes it in sentence case, MLA in title case.
Platform
YouTube, as the site the video is published on.
URL
The video's own address. A shortened youtu.be link is fine; a link to a search or a playlist is not.
Where people go wrong
The channel is the author, even when it is a username
APA and MLA both accept a screen name as the author. Write it exactly as shown, lower case included, rather than guessing at a real name.
Cite a moment with a timestamp, not a page
A video has no pages. When you quote one, APA and Harvard give the time instead of a page, and MLA gives the hours, minutes and seconds in place of a page number.
Italic in APA, quoted in MLA
APA treats the video as a work in its own right and italicises the title. MLA treats it as part of YouTube and puts it in quotation marks. Plain text cannot carry italics, so apply them after pasting.
Questions
Who is the author of a YouTube video?
The channel that uploaded it, written as it appears. If you know a named person made it, APA lets you name them and add the channel in square brackets.
How do I cite a YouTube video in the text?
In APA, the channel and the year, with a timestamp such as 3:14 when you quote. In MLA, the first element of your works cited entry, with a timestamp when you quote.
Does the generator read the video details for me?
No. A browser cannot read YouTube's page for you, and this tool does not send your link anywhere. Paste the link and it asks for the title, the channel and the date, all of which are shown under the video.
Citing something else?
Or read the rules for one style
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