Students may enjoy watching online videos, but how can they include them as part of an academic paper? Following MLA citation examples for YouTube videos isn’t as complicated as you might think. Fun and educational videos about art, history, and film exist on YouTube. As you look for sources for your research paper, consider using online videos created by reputable organizations.
MLA YouTube Citation Format
Writing works cited entries for YouTube videos follows the MLA container system with nine core elements. MLA style is designed to be flexible, so you can follow these basic citation format examples for YouTube sources. If you’re pointing your reader to a specific part of the video, include the time in the parenthetical or in-text citation.
Works Cited Format
Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by UserName, Day, Month Year, URL.
In-Text Format
Include the range of time you’re referencing in your paper, in hours, minutes and seconds.
(Author’s last name 00:00:00 – 00:00:00)
Example – Works Cited
Mbele, Roberto. “The Evolution of Art (and how it Shaped the Modern World).” YouTube, uploaded by La Volpe, 14 July 2014, https://youtu.be/bkWHrWw5yTg.
Example – In-Text
(Mbele 00:01:11 – 00:01:20)
MLA YouTube Citation Format With Username Only
If the author’s name is the same as the person who uploaded the video, then you don’t need to include the author’s name before the video’s title. Instead, simply include the username, exactly as credited in the video.
Works Cited Format
“Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by UserName, Day, Month Year, URL.
In-Text Format
(“Short title” 00:00:00 – 00:00:00)
Example 1 – Works Cited
“Great Composers: Episode 1 Johann Sebastian Bach.” YouTube, uploaded by Maestro68Blog, 31 Dec. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-eSW69DvI.
Example 1 – In-Text
(“Great Composers” 00:01:00 – 00:01:10)
Example 2 – Works Cited
“The Great Composers Part 1 (Josquin, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn).” YouTube, uploaded by Rusty Augers, 3 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cNWxU1qd18.
Example 2 – In-Text
(“Great Composers Part 1” 00:01:00 – 00:01:10)
- Write the username in the exact format as it appears in the credits.
- Do not include http:// or https:// in the URL.
- Include the hosting platform, if other than YouTube.
Using MLA 8 Citation Format
Following MLA 8 citation style allows for flexibility in writing works cited source entries. You can format your citations to direct your reader to the important part of your source. Students in middle and high school will use MLA style in most of their classes. Always follow your teacher’s guidelines, even if they differ from the MLA citation examples for YouTube videos above.