Citing a YouTube Video in Chicago Style | Format & Examples
In Chicago notes and bibliography style, it’s recommended to cite YouTube videos (and other online videos, except for movies) only in your notes and omit them from the bibliography.
List a video in your bibliography if it’s crucial to your argument, you cite it often, or your university requires you to.
Including the video length is optional. In a note, a specific timestamp or range may be included to show the relevant location in the video. Pay attention to the punctuation (e.g., periods or commas) in your citations.
| Chicago bibliography | Author last name, First name. “Video Title.” Additional information. Month Day, Year. Format, Video length. URL.
Liu, Jessica. “How to Write a Strong Essay Conclusion.” Scribbr. February 8, 2021. Educational video, 3:50. https://youtu.be/2UElC_YZ0Eo. |
|---|---|
| Full note | Author first name Last name, “Video Title,” Additional information, Month Day, Year, Format, Video length or Timestamp(s), URL.
1. Jessica Liu, “How to Write a Strong Essay Conclusion,” Scribbr, February 8, 2021, educational video, 0:28 to 0:55, https://youtu.be/2UElC_YZ0Eo. |
| Short note | Author last name, “Shortened Video Title,” Timestamp(s).
2. Liu, “Essay Conclusion,” 0:56. |
If you use author-date style instead, any videos cited must appear in the reference list.
Optional details to include in YouTube citations
Since YouTube videos can cover a wide variety of different content, a lot of different information may be relevant to your citation. In general, use your own judgment to determine what, if any, additional information is relevant to your citation. Some examples are given below.
Music video
In this music video citation, the musician is listed as the main author, the director of the video is listed after the title (relevant if you discuss the video content rather than just the song), and the words “music video” are included for the sake of clarity.
| Chicago bibliography | Musician last name, First name. “Video Title.” Directed by Director first name Last name. Month Day, Year. Music video, Video length. URL.
Glover, Donald. “This Is America.” Directed by Hiro Murai. May 6, 2018. Music video, 4:04. https://youtu.be/VYOjWnS4cMY. |
|---|---|
| Full note | Musician first name Last name, “Video Title,” directed by Director first name Last name, Month Day, Year, music video, Video length or Timestamp(s), URL.
1. Donald Glover, “This Is America,” directed by Hiro Murai, May 6, 2018, music video, 4:04, https://youtu.be/VYOjWnS4cMY. |
| Short note | Author last name, “Shortened Video Title,” Timestamp(s).
2. Glover, “This Is America,” 1:50. |
Recorded lecture
When citing a recorded lecture, information about when and where it was recorded, as well as any course or series it was part of, can be relevant. In this case the date of recording, which is shown in the video, replaces the upload date.
| Chicago bibliography | Author last name, First name. “Video Title.” Lecture Series, University Name, filmed Month Day, Year. Video of lecture, Video length. URL.
Shapiro, Ian. “Lecture 1: Introduction to Power and Politics in Today’s World.” DeVane Lectures, Yale University, filmed August 29, 2019. Video of lecture, 56:14. https://youtu.be/BDqvzFY72mg. |
|---|---|
| Full note | Author first name Last name, “Video Title,” Lecture Series, University Name, Month Day, Year, video of lecture, Video length or Timestamp(s), URL.
1. Ian Shapiro, “Lecture 1: Introduction to Power and Politics in Today’s World,” DeVane Lectures, Yale University, filmed August 29, 2019, video of lecture, 56:14, https://youtu.be/BDqvzFY72mg. |
| Short note | Author last name, “Shortened Video Title,” Timestamp(s).
2. Shapiro, “Power and Politics,” 14:40. |
Where to find citation information for a YouTube video
YouTube’s interface makes it simple to find the key information needed for a citation: the channel name, video title, publication date, video length, and URL. All of this can be found below the video.
Use a specific author name if one can be identified from the video or description; otherwise, list the channel name. The name of the channel is italicized if it is also the name of a blog or print publication, such as the Wall Street Journal. The video title is enclosed in quotation marks.
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Citing YouTube videos in author-date style
In author-date style, in-text citations consist of the author’s last name and the publication year, as well as a timestamp if relevant.
The corresponding reference list entry is identical to a bibliography entry, but with the year added after the channel name. In this style, it’s mandatory to include all the videos you cite in your reference list.
| Chicago author-date format | Author last name, First name. Year. “Video Title.” Additional information. Month Day, Year. Format, Video length. URL. |
|---|---|
| Chicago reference entry | Liu, Jessica. 2021. “How to Write a Strong Essay Conclusion.” Scribbr. February 8, 2021. Educational video, 3:50. https://youtu.be/2UElC_YZ0Eo. |
| Chicago author-date citation | (Liu 2021, 0:56) |
| 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. 2018. “This Is America.” Directed by Hiro Murai. May 6, 2018. Music video, 4:04. https://youtu.be/VYOjWnS4cMY. |
| Chicago author-date citation | (Glover 2018) |
| Chicago author-date format | Author last name, First name. Year. “Video Title.” Lecture Series, University Name, filmed Month Day. Video of lecture, Video length. URL. |
|---|---|
| Chicago reference entry | Shapiro, Ian. 2019. “Lecture 1: Introduction to Power and Politics in Today’s World.” DeVane Lectures, Yale University, filmed August 29. Video of lecture, 56:14. https://youtu.be/BDqvzFY72mg. |
| Chicago author-date citation | (Shapiro 2019, 14:40) |
Frequently asked questions about Chicago style citations
- Should I use short notes or full notes for my Chicago citations?
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In Chicago notes and bibliography style, the usual standard is to use a full note for the first citation of each source, and short notes for any subsequent citations of the same source.
However, your institution’s guidelines may differ from the standard rule. In some fields, you’re required to use a full note every time, whereas in some other fields you can use short notes every time, as long as all sources are listed in your bibliography. If you’re not sure, check with your instructor.
- What is the difference between a Chicago reference list and a bibliography?
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- A reference list is used with Chicago author-date citations.
- A bibliography is used with Chicago footnote citations.
Both present the exact same information; the only difference is the placement of the year in source citations:
- In a reference list entry, the publication year appears directly after the author’s name.
- In a bibliography entry, the year appears near the end of the entry (the exact placement depends on the source type).
There are also other types of bibliography that work as stand-alone texts, such as a Chicago annotated bibliography.
Sources in this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleCaulfield, J. (October 6, 2022). Citing a YouTube Video in Chicago Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/chicago-style/youtube-video/
