How to Cite YouTube Videos in MLA

• Hannah Berry (Ph.D.)
• Published on 10/30/2023
• Updated on01/13/2024

Citing YouTube videos is becoming increasingly common in academic and professional writing. To maintain the integrity and credibility of your work, it’s essential to follow citation guidelines, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. In this article, we will guide you through the process of creating consistent and accurate citations for YouTube videos.

STEP 1: DETERMINE THE BASIC INFORMATION

Start by collecting the following information about the YouTube video, including the author’s name, video title, website name, username of the person or entity who uploaded the video, publication date, and the video’s URL. These details serve as the foundation for creating a well structured MLA citation.

STEP 2: FORMAT THE CITATION

In this step, we focus on structuring the citation for the YouTube video. The MLA citation format for YouTube videos should be uniform and easy to follow. Here is a more detailed explanation of each component of the citation:

• Author’s Last Name, First Name (or Channel Name): This is the name of the individual or entity responsible for creating the video. In MLA format, the author’s name is typically listed in the following format: Last Name, First Name. If the video is uploaded by a channel or organization, use the channel name (e.g., National Geographic).
• The title of the YouTube video is enclosed in double quotation marks. Ensure you accurately reproduce the title as it appears on the YouTube video page, including any capitalization, punctuation, and spacing. For example: “The Importance of Renewable Energy.”
• The title of the website is italicized e.g., YouTube.
• Provide the username of the person or entity who uploaded the video. This can usually be found on the video’s page or in the video’s description.
• This component indicates the date the video was published or uploaded. It’s crucial for keeping your sources current and relevant. The upload date should be in the format of day, abbreviated month, year (e.g., 15 July 2022). You can usually find this information on the YouTube video’s page. Months with five or more letters are abbreviated by using the first three letters, followed by a period. For instance, Feb., Mar., and Apr., but you should not abbreviate June or July.
• The URL is the webpage address of the specific YouTube video you are citing. It’s included to enable readers to access the source directly. You can also generate MLA webpage citations and explore additional resources in our comprehensive guides on this subject.

In summary, the format for your YouTube video citation in the MLA style should look like this:

STEP 3: EXAMPLES OF YOUTUBE VIDEO CITATIONS 

Step 3 illustrates how to apply the MLA citation format to different types of YouTube videos. 

INDIVIDUAL AUTHOR

Citation	Watson, Lee. “The Importance of Renewable Energy.” YouTube, uploaded by Environmental Insights, 15 July 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyz12345.
Structure	Author Surname, Author First Name(s) or Initial(s). “Title of Video.” Website Title, uploaded by, Day Abbreviated Month Year, URL.

NO AUTHOR

Citation	“Introduction to Quantum Mechanics.” YouTube, uploaded by Quantum Physics Explained, 3 Dec. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc67890.
Structure	“Title of Video.” Website Title, uploaded by, Day Abbreviated Month Year, URL.

GROUP OR CORPORATE AS THE AUTHOR

Citation	National Geographic. “The Serengeti: Africa’s Wild Kingdom.” YouTube, uploaded by National Geographic, 2 Feb. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijk45678.
Structure	Group/Corporate Author(s). “Title of Video.” Website Title, uploaded by, Day Abbreviated Month Year, URL.

MULTIPLE INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS 

Citation	Barry, Jane and John Thorne. “Exploring Deep Sea Life.” YouTube, uploaded by Ocean Explorers, 10 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=123def456.
Structure	Author 1 Surname, Author 1 First Name(s) or Initial(s), and Author 2 First Name(s) &/or Initial(s) Author 2 Surname.“Title of Video.” Website Title, uploaded by, Day Abbreviated Month Year, URL.

STEP 4: IN-TEXT CITATIONS

In-text citations ensure that readers can easily identify and locate the sources you are referencing.

If the YouTube video has an individual author listed, use their last name in your in-text citation.

If the video doesn’t specify an individual creator, you can use the video’s title in your in-text citation. Enclose the title in quotation marks. For example, if you are citing a video titled “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics,” you would include it in your text with quotation marks.

For example, if you’re citing a YouTube video by Lee Watson titled “The Importance of Renewable Energy” in your paper, your in-text citation would look like this:

(Watson)

Or, if you’re referencing a video titled “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics” with no individual author mentioned, your in-text citation would appear as:

(“Introduction to Quantum Mechanics”)

In-text citations should appear within the body of your text, typically in parentheses. These citations can be placed after the information you are referencing or at the end of the relevant sentence or paragraph. It’s essential to ensure that the in-text citation corresponds to the full citation entry in your works cited page.

STEP 5: WORKS CITED PAGE

The works cited page should be located at the end of your document and list all the sources you cited in your paper.

Watson, Lee. “The Importance of Renewable Energy.” YouTube, uploaded by Environmental Insights, 15 July 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyz12345.   “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics.” YouTube, uploaded by Quantum Physics Explained, 3 Dec. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc67890.   National Geographic. “The Serengeti: Africa’s Wild Kingdom.” YouTube, uploaded by National Geographic, 2 Feb. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijk45678.   Barry, Jane and John Thorne. “Exploring Deep Sea Life.” YouTube, uploaded by Ocean Explorers, 10 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=123def456.

The works cited page should be organized alphabetically by the first element (usually the author’s last name or the channel name). Create a hanging indent, indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches.

Explore a range of features offered by TypeCite’s citation generator, including MLA citation for books, webpages and journals, as well as APA citation for books.