how to do a mla citation for a video

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Q. How do I cite a YouTube or online video?

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Answered By: Berkeley College Library Last Updated: Jan 28, 2022     Views: 814503

To cite online videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), you would follow the conventions of either MLA or APA style.  Be sure to check your assignment for citation style requirements.

You should include as much descriptive information as you can to help your readers find the video you reference. Generally, you will need the full name and/or screen name of whoever uploaded the video, publication date, title of the video, hosting website (YouTube) and URL for video. 

The general format for citing online videos in APA style is as follows:

Last Name, A.A. [Screen name]. (year, month day).  Title of video  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxxx

For online videos, you will cite the person or group who uploaded the video. This is not necessarily the same as the person depicted in the video (example: a Beyoncé video uploaded by BeyFan123 would be cited under BeyFan123, and not the artist's name). If you have both the full name and screen name for the person who uploaded the video, you would include both, starting with the person's full name. If you only have the person's screen name, you would format your citation as follows:

Screen name. (year, month day).  Title of video  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxxx.

You'll see the citation now starts with the screen name only, and does not include brackets.

Example of a citation with the creator's full name:

Doe, J.J. [janedoe]. (2016, December 19).  Day in the Life  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxx.

and without the creator's full name (only a screen name): 

Janedoe. (2016, December 19).  Day in the Life  [Video file]. YouTube. http://xxx

Your in-text citation should include the last name or screen name and the year. Example:

(Doe, 2016) or (Janedoe, 2016). 

The general format for citing online videos in MLA style is as follows:

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

If the author of the video is not the same as the person who uploaded the video, your citation would be formatted as follows:

Author last name, First Name. "Title of video."  YouTube,  uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

Example of citation with different author and uploader:

Beyoncé . "Sorry."  YouTube , uploaded by BeyFan123, 17 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Example of citation with no known author or same author and uploader:

"Day in the Life."  YouTube , uploaded by janedoe, 19 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Your in-text citation will depend on whether you have the author's last name. Basically, you will want to cite in-text whatever appears first in the citation on your Works Cited page. If you are referencing a specific part of the video, MLA format also requires that you specify the time in the video when that part begins.

In-text citation with author:

(Last name,  00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

In-text citation with no author or same author and uploader:

("Title of video," 00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

Here's an example of a Berkeley College YouTube video cited in APA and MLA formats:

APA style

Works Cited list:

berkeleycollege. (2019, January 16).  File Your FAFSA Today!  [Video file]. YouTube.  https://youtu.be/HaFACQA5SFY

(berkeleycollege, 2019)

"File Your FAFSA Today!"  YouTube,  uploaded by berkeleycollege, 16 January, 2019, https://youtu.be/HaFACQA5SFY

("File your FAFSA," 00:00:30-00:00:45). 

If you have further questions, consult the Writing and Citing Libguide  or ask a librarian .  

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• MLA Style Center: Citing an Online Video (including YouTube)
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• How to cite a YouTube video in MLA

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on April 18, 2019 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on June 16, 2022 by Shona McCombes.

The MLA Works Cited entry for an online video contains the video’s creator, the title, the website or platform in italics (e.g. YouTube ), the channel or user that uploaded the video, the upload date, and the URL.

If the video was uploaded by the same person or organization that created it, or if no clear creator can be identified, omit the author element and start with the video’s title instead.

The in-text citation should match the first element of the Works Cited (either the creator’s name, or a short version of the title). You can also include a timestamp in place of a page number.

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Finding information for an mla youtube citation, citing videos with the same creator and uploader, citing videos with a different creator and uploader, timestamps in youtube citations, frequently asked questions about mla style.

On YouTube, all the information you need can be found below the video.

The name of the channel that uploaded the video should be written the same as it is on YouTube, but the title of the video should follow standard MLA capitalization rules .

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YouTube videos are often uploaded by the person or organization that created them. In this case, their name should only appear once. Start the citation with the title, and list the channel name in the other contributors  element.

In the example below, the video was both created and uploaded by the organization BBC News, so the reference starts with the title. A shortened version of the title appears in the in-text citation.

Sometimes, you might want to cite a video that has been uploaded by someone other than the creator.

In this case, if you know who created the video, list them as author at the start of the Works Cited and in the in-text citation.

You should also use this format if you are citing an interview uploaded to YouTube, using the interviewee’s name as the author.

If you directly quote from a video, or you want to refer to a specific section, you can include a timestamp in your in-text citation.

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You must include an MLA in-text citation every time you quote or paraphrase from a source (e.g. a book , movie , website , or article ).

If a source has no author, start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source title . Use a shortened version of the title in your MLA in-text citation .

If a source has no page numbers, you can use an alternative locator (e.g. a chapter number, or a timestamp for a video or audio source) to identify the relevant passage in your in-text citation. If the source has no numbered divisions, cite only the author’s name (or the title).

If you already named the author or title in your sentence, and there is no locator available, you don’t need a parenthetical citation:

• Rajaram  argues that representations of migration are shaped by “cultural, political, and ideological interests.”
• The homepage of The Correspondent describes it as “a movement for radically different news.”

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

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.

Gahan, C. (2022, June 16). How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/youtube-citation/

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA YouTube Citations

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

Citing a youtube video.

According the official MLA Style website , you start the citation off with the title of the video in quotation marks. The name of the website, YouTube , comes next, followed by the name of the YouTube channel, also called the video uploader. Finally, include the date the video was uploaded and the URL of the video at the end of the citation.

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If any important information is missing (e.g., author’s name, title, publishing date, URL, etc.), first see if you can find it in the source yourself. If you cannot, leave the information blank and continue creating your citation.

It supports MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and over 7,000 total citation styles.

To cite a YouTube video in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the title of the video, publication date, uploader’s name, and URL. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry of a YouTube video and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the title of the video. Use title case and enclose the video title in double quotation marks.

In parenthetical citations, always use only the shortened title. If the title is already short, especially if it forms a rhetorical unit (e.g., “Is Nothing Sacred?”), you can use the full video title in the parenthetical citation. Enclose the title in double quotation marks.

When creating in-text citations for time-based media, such as a video, cite the relevant total time or a particular time span if it displays. For instance, the range of hours, minutes, and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

Citation in prose:

First mention: “Time Is But a Stubborn Illusion” …. (00:04:23)

Parenthetical:

….(“Time” 00:04:23).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The video title is set in title case and inside quotation marks. This is followed by the container title for the website “ YouTube ” where the video appears. The website title is in italics. Then the uploader’s name is given followed by the uploaded date. Finally, the URL is given.

“Title of the Video.” YouTube , uploaded by Uploader’s Name, Day Month Year, URL.

“Time Is But a Stubborn Illusion.” YouTube , uploaded by National Geographic, 24 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyYqyYAKGC0 .

To cite a movie in MLA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the director’s name, year, movie title, and production company. The templates and examples for an in-text citation and works cited list entry for a movie are provided below:

Movie Title

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

( Shortened Movie Title )

( The Prime )

For the parenthetical citation, the title should be shortened to the shortest noun phrase.

Reference list entry template and example:

Title of the Movie . Directed by Director First Name Surname, Production Company, Release year.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie . Directed by Ronald Neamie, 20th Century Fox, 1969.

Use “Directed by” before the director’s name and write the movie title in italics and title case.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Videos & DVDs

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On This Page: Videos & DVDs

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

Streaming Video From a Library Database (Criterion, Kanopy, NFB Education, etc.)

Dvd or film, film from a streaming video service (netflix, hulu, amazon prime, etc.), television series episode from a streaming video service (netflix, crave, amazon prime, etc.), television series episode viewed as a broadcast or on dvd, abbreviating months.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Who to Credit - Films and TV Series

Many people can be involved in the production of a video and not all need to be listed in the citation. To clarify what role the person has in the production, precede each name (or each group of names, if more than one person performed the same function) with a description of the role. MLA style emphasizes finding this information whenever possible in the video itself, such as in the opening credits. Some common contributor roles that can be included in the citation are

• directed by
• performance by
• created by 
• narrated by

Who to Credit - Streaming Video from a Social Media Website

For videos from social media websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, how you cite depends on the type of uploader. If the video was uploaded by an organization you can begin the citation with the title of the video and credit the organization with "uploaded by username" (eg "uploaded by ProvinceofBC). If it is a personal upload, credit the person who posted the content. If a real name is provided, use it. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, credit their username. 

Time stamps in audio and video recordings

As there are no page numbers in audio and video recordings, include a timestamp instead. Time stamps are given in the following format: 

(Author's Last Name hours:min:seconds-hours:min:seconds) 

If you are citing something that is less than an hour long, you can start minutes. 

Examples: 

(Smith 01:15-02:20)

(Jones 01:20:15-01:22:22) 

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

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

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

Last Name, First Name of video creator or Username of Creator. "Title of Video."  Title of the Hosting Website , uploaded by Username, Day Month Year of Publication, URL of video. Accessed Day Month Year video was viewed.

For more information on citing videos found online, check out the MLA website . 

Title of Video . Contributor(s), Publisher/Production Company, Date. Title of Library Database .

 Note: Typically films, television episodes, and other performances have many contributors. After the title, list the contributors most relevant to your project. Most common contributors listed include directors, creators, and performers.  

Title of Movie. Contributor(s). Publisher/Production Company, Year of Release. 

 Note: Typically films, television episodes, and other performances have many contributors. After the title, list the contributors most relevant to your project. Most common contributors listed include directors, creators, and performers.  

Title of Movie.  Contributor(s). Publisher/Production Company, Year of Release.  Name of Streaming Service .

"Title of Episode." Title of TV Series,  Contributors Name(s), season, episode,  Production Company, Year of Release. Name of Streaming Website, URL. 

 Note : Typically films, television episodes, and other performances have many contributors. After the title, list the contributors most relevant to your project. Most common contributors listed include directors, creators, and performers.  

 Note : Seasons of a television series are usually numbered in sequence, as are the episodes. Both numbers should be included in the works cited list. If the episode is untitled, omit this element and begin the citation with the title of the show. 

"Title of Episode." Title of TV Series,  Contributors Name(s), season, episode,  Production Company, Year of Release. DVD if viewed on DVD. 

 Note : Typically films, television episodes, and other performances have many contributors. After the title, list the contributors most relevant to your project. Most common contributors listed include directors, creators, and performers.  

 Note : Seasons of a television series are usually numbered in sequence, as are the episodes. Both numbers should be included in the works cited list if available. If the episode is untitled, omit this element and begin the citation with the title of the show. 

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Who to Credit

Dvd or film.

Many people can be involved in the production of a video and not all need to be listed in the citation. Typically the director, producer and/or writer are the names that are used. To clarify which 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.

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 it. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, use their user name.

Streaming Video from a Library Database

"Title of Video." Publisher/Production Company, Date. Title of Library Database. 

"Secret Life of Twins." BBC, 2015.  Films on Demand,  unr.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=98734&xtid=115671

Streaming Video from a Website (YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, etc.)

Last Name, First Name of video creator or Username of Creator. "Title of Video." Title of the Hosting Website , Day Month Year of Publication, URL of video.

Sethi ,  Ramit . "How to Write a Winning Resume, With  Ramit  Sethi."  YouTube , 23 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ 0fjkKCsM1w .

Title of Movie. Director's Name. Performers Names. Production Company, Year of Release. 

The Usual Suspects.  Directed by Bryan Singer. Performances by Kevin  Spacey , Gabriel Byrne,  Chazz   Palminteri , Stephen Baldwin, and  Benicio  Del Toro.  Polygram , 1995. 

Television Series Episode

"Title of Episode." Title of TV Series.  Contributors Name(s), Season, Episode,  Production Company, Year of Release. 

"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."  Friends,  created by Marta Kauffman, performance by Matthew Perry, season 6, episode 14, Warner Brothers, 2004. 

 Note : If the episode has many contributors, include the ones most relevant to your project. i.e. if you are writing about an episode that focuses on a key character, you might mention the series creator and the actor who portrays the character. Seasons of a television series are usually numbered in sequence, as are the episodes. Both numbers should be included in the works cited list if available

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MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

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MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

However, this guide will highlight a few concerns when citing digital sources in MLA style.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is changed or deleted).

It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged (especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources

If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p. or pp. abbreviation. Par. would be used for a single paragraph, while pars. would be used for a span of two or more paragraphs.

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• DOI (if available, precede it with "https://doi.org/"), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Use the following format:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2 nd container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Citing an Entire Web Site

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), DOI (preferred), otherwise include a URL or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site . Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory . Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.

Course or Department Websites

Give the instructor name. Then list the title of the course (or the school catalog designation for the course) in italics. Give appropriate department and school names as well, following the course title.

Felluga, Dino. Survey of the Literature of England . Purdue U, Aug. 2006, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/241/241/Home.html. Accessed 31 May 2007.

English Department . Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/. Accessed 31 May 2015.

A Page on a Web Site

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

If the e-book is formatted for a specific reader device or service, you can indicate this by treating this information the same way you would treat a physical book's edition number. Often, this will mean replacing "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed."

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince , translated by W. K. Marriott, Kindle ed., Library of Alexandria, 2018.

Note:  The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado , www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive , www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

If the work cited is available on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Adams, Clifton R. “People Relax Beside a Swimming Pool at a Country Estate Near Phoenix, Arizona, 1928.” Found, National Geographic Creative, 2 June 2016, natgeofound.tumblr.com/.

An Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

Bernstein, Mark. “ 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web. ”   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a DOI if available, otherwise provide a URL or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print

Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal in print, including the page range of the article . Provide the URL and the date of access.

Wheelis, Mark. “ Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. ”   Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “ Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates. ”   Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)

Give the author of the message, followed by the subject line in quotation marks. State to whom the message was sent with the phrase, “Received by” and the recipient’s name. Include the date the message was sent. Use standard capitalization.

Kunka, Andrew. “ Re: Modernist Literature. ”  Received by John Watts, 15 Nov. 2000.

Neyhart, David. “ Re: Online Tutoring. ” Received by Joe Barbato, 1 Dec. 2016.

A Listserv, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting

Cite web postings as you would a standard web entry. Provide the author of the work, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the web site name in italics, the publisher, and the posting date. Follow with the date of access. Include screen names as author names when author name is not known. If both names are known, place the author’s name in brackets.

Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site , Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.

Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek , 29 Sept. 2008, boardgamegeek.com/thread/343929/best-strategy-fenced-pastures-vs-max-number-rooms. Accessed 5 Apr. 2009.

Begin with the user's Twitter handle in place of the author’s name. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the tweet within the quotations. Include the date and time of posting, using the reader's time zone; separate the date and time with a comma and end with a period. Include the date accessed if you deem necessary.

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

@PurdueWLab. “ Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week. ”   Twitter , 5 Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.

A YouTube Video

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

A Comment on a Website or Article

List the username as the author. Use the phrase, Comment on, before the title. Use quotation marks around the article title. Name the publisher, date, time (listed on near the comment), and the URL.

Not Omniscient Enough. Comment on “ Flight Attendant Tells Passenger to ‘Shut Up’ After Argument Over Pasta. ”  ABC News, 9 Jun 2016, 4:00 p.m., abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-tells-passenger-shut-argument-pasta/story?id=39704050.

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA Format

Whether you’re writing a research paper for a sociology class or presenting a literature review , you’ll likely need to use MLA format to cite your sources. When citing a YouTube video in MLA format, you must include details like the primary video creator’s real name or username, the video’s title, the location container, the date it was posted (use the abbreviated forms of months, followed by a period), and the linked video URL. Give your writing extra polish Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

How to cite a YouTube video in MLA format

When citing a YouTube video in MLA format, style it as follows:

Creator’s Username or Real Last name, First name. “Title.” YouTube, Day Month., Year, Linked  URL.

Write the video title so it’s the same as the on-page headline in the YouTube video. The container, which is where the source is located, is formatted in italics and in this scenario will always be “ YouTube.” Note that MLA format doesn’t require “https://” in front of the URL.

Here’s an example of how to cite a YouTube video in MLA format :

JFK Library. “Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Ernest Hemingway’s  Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises.” YouTube , 20 Oct. 2016,  www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBPPAbn2d34 .

MLA parenthetical and in-text citations for YouTube videos

A YouTube video source can also be cited in MLA format in the body of your text, either as a parenthetical or an in-text citation. Both versions include the creator’s username or real name and the video time stamp that’s being referenced.

• Parenthetical citation: (Lewis 0:35–1:11)
• In-text citation: Lewis (0:35–1:11)

Here’s a tip: Citations can be difficult, but they don’t have to trip you up. Grammarly’s Citation Generator ensures your essays have flawless citations and no plagiarism. Try it for tricky MLA citations like online lectures , movie trailers , or documentaries .

How to cite a YouTube video in MLA when the creator is unknown

Ideally, citations in MLA format on your works cited or bibliography page use the primary source creator’s name as the “author.” However, if you need to cite a source that isn’t the video’s primary creator, use the YouTube username that uploaded the video instead.

The title as it appears on the YouTube video starts the citation. It’s then followed by the source location, the words “uploaded by,” and the username that uploaded the video. Then add the upload date and linked YouTube URL to complete the citation.

Below is an example of how to cite YouTube videos in MLA format when the original video creator’s name is unknown:

“Kid Breathes on Window and Draws a Heart | Social Experiment.” YouTube , uploaded by  TreeMan, 9 Mar. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch? v=WT3d35xLAOE .

MLA parenthetical and in-text citations when the creator is unknown

In-text and parenthetical MLA citations for a YouTube video in which the primary creator’s name is unknown follow a similar format as the standard version. The key difference is that you use the YouTube username in place of the “author” element, followed by the video time stamp being referenced.

• Parenthetical citation: (TreeMan 0:05–0:20)
• In-text citation: TreeMan (0:05–0:20)

Standard MLA citation for a YouTube channel

When you’re citing a YouTube channel rather than a single video, the citation follows the format of a website citation in MLA . You’ll need the name of the YouTube channel or username, source location (“ YouTube”) , and linked YouTube URL.

After writing the YouTube channel name in quotations, add “ YouTube ” and the channel page’s linked URL. Then include the word “Accessed” followed by the date of reference.

A YouTube channel citation in MLA format might look like this:

“JFK Library.” YouTube , www.youtube.com/c/JFKLF . Accessed 23 Jun. 2022. 

MLA parenthetical and in-text citations for a YouTube channel

To cite a YouTube channel in MLA format in a parenthetical or an in-text citation, use the shortened channel name or username and the year you accessed the source.

• Parenthetical citation: (JFK 2022)
• In-text citation: JFK (2022)

How do I cite YouTube videos?

MLA style gives authors several ways to cite YouTube videos.

If you are citing a video in which the primary creator or author is clear, you can list that creator in the Author element. The following provides an example of a citation for the music video of Beyoncé’s song “Pretty Hurts”:

Beyoncé. “Beyoncé – Pretty Hurts (Video).”  YouTube , 24 Apr. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXXQLa-5n5w.

The title of the video is copied exactly as it appears on YouTube . The container is YouTube , followed by the date listed below the video and the Location element (the URL of the video).

If it’s not clear who the primary creator or author of a video is, you could omit the Author element and begin the citation with the title of the video:

“Capybara Eat Huge Pumpkin.”  YouTube , uploaded by Alex Smith, 12 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YNwxZnABzA.

In this example, the video’s creator is not specified. The name of the account that uploaded the video is provided in the Contributor element, after the title of the container, YouTube . Even if it’s clear who the author or creator of a video is, you might opt to include the name of the account that uploaded the video in the Contributor element if it provides helpful information.

If you are citing an entire work uploaded to YouTube , such as a film, use what you see on YouTube to cite the work in MLA style. Here is an example citation for a film:

Moby Dick . Directed by John Huston, MGM, 1956. YouTube , 8 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Yc8KPH-X0.

Details about the film’s original publication are found in the  YouTube description below the video and so are provided in the citation. Here  Moby Dick  is a self-contained work, and so its title is listed as the first container. It is followed by the Contributor, Publisher, and Date elements. YouTube is the title of the second container, followed by the Date and Location elements.

For more on how to cite YouTube  videos in MLA style, see our posts on citing TV episodes on YouTube and interviews on YouTube , as well as our related posts on citing online videos  and formatting titles of uploaded videos.

MLA Citation Style

• Web Sources
• Music and Videos
• Common Sources
• Back to All Citation Styles

"Title of Video." YouTube, uploaded by Firstname Lastname or Corporate Name, Date Posted, URL.

"Cat Man Do." YouTube, uploaded by Simon's Cat, 4 Mar. 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q

Streaming Video Service

"Title of Episode."  Title of the Series: Plus a Subtitle. season number, episode number, Original Network, original air date. Platform, URL.

"Jaynestown." Firefly, season 1, episode 7, Fox Television, 18 Oct. 2002. Netflix, https://www.netflix.com/watch/70133876.

Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Song." Title of the Album. Record Label, Year of Release. URL (optional).

Beyonce. "Formation." Lemonade. Parkwood Entertainment, 2015, http://www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/?media_view=songs.

Versions of a Song

Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Song." Title of the Album.  Performance by Firstname Lastname or Corporate Name, Version (optional), Album Name, Record Label, Year of Release.

Mitchell, Joni. "Big Yellow Taxi." Ladies of the Canyon. Reprise, 1970.

Mitchell, Joni. "Big Yellow Taxi." Performed by Counting Crows, Hard Candy, Geffen, 2002.

Counting Crows. "Big Yellow Taxi." Hard Candy. Words and lyrics by Joni Mitchell, Geffen, 2002.

Television Series

How you cite a TV show, just as with other forms of media, depends on exactly which element you are citing. Focusing on the performance by a specific actor means their name is cited first, as opposed to a show title or creator .

Title of the Series: Plus a Subtitle. Created By Firstname Lastname, Production Company. Date Range.

Star Trek. Created by Gene Roddenberry, Desilu Productions, 1966-1969.

Single Episode of a Series

"Title of Episode." Title of the Series: Plus a Subtitle. Created by Firstname Lastname, performance by Firstname Lastname, season number, episode number, Production Company. Date.

"The Inner Light." Star Trek: The Next Generation. Created by Gene Roddenberry, performance by Patrick Stewart, Paramount Television, 30 May 1992.

Individual Performance or Contribution

Lastname, Firstname, position title. Title of the Series: Plus a Subtitle. Production Company. Date or Date Range.

Shatner, William, performer. Star Trek. Desilu Productions, 1966-1969.

Gerrold, David, writer. "The Trouble with Tribbles." Star Trek. Desilu Productions, 29 Dec. 1967.

Film or Movie

Lastname, Firstname, director. Title of the Movie: Plus a Subtitle.  Performance by Firstname Lastname, Production Company, Year of Release.

Fleming, Victor, director. Gone with the Wind. Performances by Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh, Selznick International Pictures, 1939.

Lastname, Firstname, director. Title of the Movie: Plus a Subtitle. Year of Release. Performance by Firstname Lastname, Distribution Company, disc number.

Jackson, Peter, director. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.  Theatrical release 2001, Extended cut, New Line Home Entertainment, DVD release 2002 ,disc 2 .

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• Updated: Oct 4, 2023 11:12 AM
• URL: https://libguides.bates.edu/mla