How Do You Cite A YouTube Video In MLA – Complete Guide

YouTube is one of the main sources for learning a subject these days. Thousands of creators post their videos online, including lectures, guides, summaries, podcasts, and more. Therefore, it is important for researchers and students to cite videos, especially those from YouTube.

While there are many different citation styles, such as APA and Harvard, in this blog, we will focus on how do you cite a YouTube video in MLA. The Modern Language Association style is widely used in humanities subjects like English and culture studies, and is one of the easiest referencing styles to cite YouTube videos. Let’s see how you can do it.

How Do You Cite A YouTube Video In MLA

Before we explore how do you cite a YouTube video in MLA, here are the key components.

• Creator – The person or the organisation who made the video. If the name of the creator is not clear, you can use the uploader’s username instead.
• Title of the Video – The title should be written in quotation marks and in the title case. This means that you have to make the first letter of major words capital. For instance, “How to Write a Research Paper.”
• Title of the Website – Since the video is from YouTube, you have to mention the platform in italics, like YouTube.
• Upload Date – Here, you have to write the date when the video was uploaded. The format to use is: day month year (e.g., 12 Dec 2024).
• URL – You have to include the full URL of the video. It is not necessary to hyperlink it. You just have to paste the plain link.
• Timestamps – If you are referring to a specific part of the video, you can add the time in your in-text citation (e.g., 00:45 for 45 seconds).

Example Of A Complete Citation In MLA

Here is how all the components come together:

Standard Format For How Do You Cite A YouTube Video In MLA

There is a specific structure that needs to be followed when it comes to citing a YouTube video in MLA. The general format is:

Examples Of YouTube Video Citations In MLA

Here are some YouTube video citations in MLA examples for different scenarios.

• For a video with a clear creator/ author

Hughes, Nellie. “How to Write the Dissertation Findings or Results?.” YouTube, uploaded by ResearchProspect, 20 Aug 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yczy8BO6sAQ.

• For a video where the uploader is the author

ResearchProspect. “How to Write the Dissertation Findings or Results?.” YouTube, uploaded by ResearchProspect, 20 Aug 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yczy8BO6sAQ.

In-Text Citation For YouTube Videos

When you use information or ideas from a YouTube video in your writing, you need to include in-text citation MLA video. This helps readers know which part of your work is based on the video and allows them to find the original score.

How to Include a YouTube Video in In-Text Citations

In MLA format, in-text citations for YouTube videos have the title of the video in quotation marks. If the title is too long, you can use a shortened version. The basic structure is:

In case you are quoting or referring to a specific part of the video, you can also include a timestamp to show exactly where the information can be found.

Timestamps are helpful when you have to cite a specific moment in a video. You can show the exact time (hours, minutes, seconds). Here is how it works:

Example In Context

Let’s say that you are writing about the tips shared in a YouTube video titled “How to Write a Dissertation Conclusion Chapter.” if the specific advice appears at 2 minutes and 30 seconds, your in-text citation will look something like this:

(“How to Write a Dissertation Conclusion Chapter” 00:02:30)

Different Scenarios On How Do You Cite A YouTube Video In MLA

Now, we will explore how to handle some common situations of YouTube citations.

• Videos With Multiple Creators

If the video you want to cite has more than one creator, you can list the names of up to two creators in the citation. For more than two, you can include the name of the first creator followed by “et al.”

Basic Format:

Examples:

• Lee, Sarah, and John Smith. “The Science Behind Meditation.” YouTube, uploaded by MindBody Channel, 12 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234.
• Lee, Sarah, et al. “The Science Behind Meditation.” YouTube, uploaded by MindBody Channel, 12 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234.

• Videos From Official Channels

If the organisation or the channel that you are citing from is well known, you can use the name of the channel as the author. This is a very common approach for educational or corporate content like TEDx or National Geographic.

Basic Format:

Example:

TEDx Talks. “The Power of Vulnerability.” YouTube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, 5 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234.

• Anonymous Or No-Author Videos

If a video does not have a clear author or creator and the name of the uploader is not a person or organisation, you can use the video title as the author in quotation marks.

Basic Format:

Example:

“10 Tips for Better Sleep.” YouTube, uploaded by SleepTips101, 20 Oct. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Citing YouTube Videos

Done learning how do you cite a YouTube video in MLA? Did you find it easy? Well, there are still some common mistakes that you can make, and we have listed some of them here to help you cite better.

1. Sometimes, the creator and the uploader are different people. Make sure that you give credit to the actual creator of the video and not the person who posted it on YouTube.
2. Your citation is incomplete without the upload date. Most people want to include up-to-date references, so make sure to add them.
3. A common mistake is mixing up italics and quotation marks. The video title needs to be in quotation marks, while YouTube should be mentioned in italics.
4. At times, people can randomly cite the timestamp. This is completely wrong. Always double-check it to see that you are referring to the right part of the video.

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