Citing YouTube videos in academic papers follows similar guidelines as other multimedia styles. However, with the Chicago style YouTube video citation, it is recommended to only cite YouTube videos and other online media except for movies in the notes and omit them from the reference list. The YouTube video is only listed in the bibliography if it’s crucial to your argument or the university requires you to include it.
Chicago Style YouTube Video Citation – In a Nutshell
- The Chicago style YouTube video citation requires a listing of the: Video author, Video title, Video length, Date of publishing, Timestamp, YouTube video URL.
- Chicago style YouTube video citation generally uses notes and bibliography format, but the author-date format may also be required.
- If you are alluding to a YouTube channel, you can skip the video author and video title and instead include the YouTube channel name, page, full retrieval date and URL.
Definition: Chicago style YouTube video citation
When using the Chicago style YouTube video citation, the notes and bibliography format recommends including citations in your footnotes or endnotes instead of the bibliography. You only list the YouTube video in your references if you cite the source frequently in the paper. Here are the guidelines and examples of Chicago style YouTube video citations in the notes and bibliography format.
| Chicago bibliography | Author last name, First name. “Title of the Video.” Additional information. Month Day, Year. Format, Video length.URL. |
| Full note | Author first name, Last name, "Video Title," additional information, Month Day, Year, Format, Timestamps, URL. |
| Short note | Author last name, “Shortened video title,” Timestamp. |
Example
Chicago bibliography
Jakes Sarah. “Becoming While Undoing.” November 25, 2022. Video, 14:44. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQTexpSBvmk.
Full note
Sarah Jakes, “Becoming While Undoing,” November 25, 2022. Video, 14:44, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQTexpSBvmk.
Short note
Jakes, “Becoming While Undoing,” 08: 56 to 12:34.
Chicago style YouTube video citation: Information
The information required for the Chicago style YouTube video citation is easy to find since YouTube provides them alongside the video such as the video title, Channel name, publication date, video length and URL. A specific author’s name can be identified from the video or description. Use the channel name if you cannot find the author’s name. In the Chicago style YouTube video citation, the channel name is italicized if it is also the blog name. The Chicago style YouTube video citation also requires the video titles enclosed in quotation marks.
Chicago style YouTube video citation: Details
YouTube videos cover wide content you may cite in academic essays or research papers. Hence, when using the Chicago style YouTube video citation, you can find optional details relevant to your citation.
Music Video
When citing a music video using the Chicago style YouTube video citation, you list the musician as the main author, and the director is listed after the music video title. You can add the director’s name if you are discussing the content of the video rather than the song. You also need to include the words ‘music video‘ for clarity.
| Chicago bibliography | Musician last name, First name. "Title of the Video." Directed by the director's First name and Last name. Month Day, Year, Music video, video length. URL. |
| Full note | Musician First name, Last name, “Music video title,” directed by director First name Last name, Month Day, Year, Music video, Timestamp, URL. |
| Short note | Author last name, “Shortened video title,” Timestamp. |
Here are examples of citing using the Chicago style citation YouTube:
Example
Chicago bibliography
Glover, Donald. “This Is America.” Directed by Childish Gambino. May 6, 2018. Music video, 4:04. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY.
Full note
Donald Glover, “This Is America,” directed by Childish Gambino, May 6, 2018, Music video, 3:28, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY.
Short note
Glover, “This Is America,” 3:28.
Recorded lecture
If you use the Chicago style YouTube video citation to cite a recorded lecture or course, you use the date of the recording shown in the video instead of the upload date.
| Chicago bibliography | Author last name, First name. “Lecture title.” Lecture series, University Name, filmed Month Day, Year. Video of lecture, video length. URL. |
| Full note | Author first name, Last name, “Video Title,” Lecture series, University name, Month Day, Year, lecture video, video length, URL. |
| Short note | Author last name, “Shortened Video Title,” Timestamp. |
Example
Chicago bibliography
Gabrieli, John. “Introduction to Psychology.” OpenCourse, MIT, filmed September 7, 2011. Video of lecture, 49:43. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fbrl6WoIyo.
Full note
John Gabrieli, “Introduction to Psychology,” OpenCourse, MIT, September 7, 2011, video of a lecture, 49: 43, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fbrl6WoIyo.
Short note
Gabrieli, “Introduction to Psychology,” 23:46.
Chicago style YouTube video citation: Author
In the Chicago style YouTube video citation, you must include:
- Video title
- Content format
- Video length
- Upload date and URL
The reference list entry should be similar to the bibliography, with the publication year added after the channel name. You must also include all the videos in in-text citations to your reference list.
Here is how to cite using the Chicago style YouTube video citation:
Chicago author-date style: YouTube video
| Chicago Author-Date Format | Author last name, First name. Year. “Title of the Video.” Additional Information. Month Day, Year. Format, Video length. URL. |
| Chicago Reference Entry | Smith, John. 2021. “How to Write an Essay.” BachelorPrint. March 6, 2021. Educational video, 4:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fbrl6WoIyo. |
| Chicago Author-Date Citation | (Winans 2021, 3:22) |
Chicago author-date style:
Music video
| Chicago Author-Date Format | Author last name, First name. Year. “Video title.” Directed by Director first name Last name. Month Day, Year. Music Video, video length. URL. |
| Chicago Reference Entry | Glover, Donald. 2020. “This Is America.” Directed by Hugh Jackman. May 2, 2020. Music video, 4:04. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY. |
| Chicago Author-Date Citation | (Glover, 2020) |
Chicago author-date style: Recorded lecture
| Chicago Author-Date Format | Author last name, First name. Year. “Video Title.” Lecture series, University, filmed month day. Lecture video, video length. URL. |
| Chicago Reference Entry | Eilish, Billie. 2011. “How to Write an Essay.” DeVane Lectures, Harvard University, filmed May 22. Video of lecture, 56:24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY. |
| Chicago Author-Date Citation | (Eilish 2011, 23:42) |
FAQs
If you cannot find the author’s name, use the YouTube username where the video was published as the author’s name.
In the bibliography and notes format of Chicago style YouTube video citation, you must include the YouTube channel name, website name, page and the channel URL.
In the Chicago style YouTube video citation, you use the full note citation in the first citation and short notes in subsequent citations.
