How to Cite a Song in APA

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 05/21/2025

Citing songs correctly in APA style ensures academic integrity and gives credit to creators. Whether referencing a single track, an entire album, or a classical composition, each citation follows a structured format.

This article explains how to cite different types of songs in APA style using simple language and a third-person narrative, with real examples and formatting rules.

Citing a Song with a Lyricist or Songwriter

When citing lyrics written by a songwriter, begin with the songwriter’s last name and initials, followed by the copyright year in parentheses. Then include the song title, add “[Lyrics]” in brackets, and end with the retrieval URL if accessed online.

Citation	Swift, T. (2012). All too well [Lyrics]. Retrieved from https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-all-too-well-lyrics
Structure	Songwriter Surname, Initial. (Year). Song title [Lyrics]. Retrieved from URL

Citing a Song Written by One Artist but Performed by Another

When a song is written by one person but performed by someone else, include both names. Mention the songwriter first. The performer’s name appears inside brackets after “Song recorded by.” Add “[Lyrics]” if referencing lyrics specifically.

Citation	Parton, D. (1973). I will always love you [Song recorded by W. Houston] [Lyrics]. Retrieved from https://genius.com/Whitney-houston-i-will-always-love-you-lyrics
Structure	Songwriter Surname, Initial. (Year). Song title [Song recorded by Initial. Surname] [Lyrics]. Retrieved from URL

Citing a Song from an Album with Multiple Music Labels

When a song is part of an album released by more than one music label, provide the songwriter or performer(s), year, and song title with “[Song]” in brackets. Then, write “On” followed by the album title in italics, and end with the record labels separated by a semicolon.

Citation	Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande. (2020). Rain on me [Song]. On Chromatica. Interscope Records; Streamline.
Structure	Artist(s). (Year). Song title [Song]. On Album title. Label 1; Label 2.

Citing a Song Without an Associated Album

Some songs are released as singles and do not belong to any album. In such cases, cite the artist(s), year, and song title with “[Song]” in brackets. End with the music label.

Citation	Lil Nas X. (2019). Panini [Song]. Columbia Records.
Structure	Artist. (Year). Song title [Song]. Record label.

Citing an Album

When citing a full album, begin with the artist or group name, followed by the release year in parentheses. Write the album title in italics with “[Album]” in brackets, and finish with the record label.

Citation	The Weeknd. (2020). After hours [Album]. XO; Republic Records.
Structure	Artist. (Year). Album title [Album]. Record labels.

Citing a Song Performed by a Different Artist Than the Original

When a song is performed by someone other than the original artist, begin with the name of the performer, not the original songwriter. Include the album title if applicable.

Citation	Mayer, J. (2008). Free fallin [Song]. On Where the light is: John Mayer live in Los Angeles. Columbia Records.
Structure	Performer Surname, Initial. (Year). Song title [Song]. On Album title. Record label.

Citing a Classical Song or Track

Classical music citations differ slightly. Begin with the original composer’s name and year of the recording. Add the title of the work, followed by “[Song recorded by Performer or Group]” in brackets. Include the album title in italics and label. If known, include the original publication year in parentheses.

Citation	Mozart, W. A. (2018). Requiem in D minor, K. 626 [Song recorded by The English Concert]. On Mozart: Requiem. Harmonia Mundi. (Original work published 1791)
Structure	Composer Surname, Initials. (Year). Title of song [Song recorded by Performer or Group]. On Album title. Record label. (Original work published Year)

Use Sentence Case for Song and Album Titles: In APA Style, both song titles and album titles must be written in sentence case. This means only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon (if any), and any proper nouns are capitalized. Avoid capitalizing every word, which is common in title case. Italicize Album Titles Only: In APA Style, album titles are treated as standalone works and should be italicized. Song titles, however, are part of a larger work and should not be italicized. Instead, song titles should be written in sentence case and placed in plain text, without quotation marks or italics. Use Brackets to Specify the Medium: After the song or album title, use square brackets to clearly indicate the medium. Common labels include: [Song] for audio tracks, [Lyrics] if quoting or referencing lyrics and [Album] for full albums. Separate Multiple Labels or Contributors Clearly: When citing a song or album involving multiple artists or more than one record label, APA requires clarity through appropriate punctuation.