Videos have become a legitimate part of academic research. You might cite a YouTube explainer to support a point about science communication, reference a TED Talk for an expert's argument, or analyze a film scene in a media studies paper. APA 7th edition has specific formats for all of these — and they're more straightforward than you might expect.
The key principle: APA treats all audiovisual works similarly. The format varies based on who created it and where it lives, but the four-part structure (Author, Date, Title, Source) stays the same.
YouTube Video
YouTube videos are the most commonly cited video source in student papers. Here's the format:
Reference list:
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2024, March 12). The real reason you should sleep more [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example123
In-text citations:
Parenthetical:(Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 2024)
Narrative:Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2024) explains that…
Key details:
- The author is whoever uploaded the video. This could be a person's real name, a username/channel name, or an organization. Use whatever name appears on the channel.
- The date is when the video was uploaded, not when you watched it.
- The title is italicized and in sentence case, followed by [Video] in square brackets.
- The source is YouTube (the platform), followed by the video's URL.
- No period after the URL.
When the Uploader's Real Name and Channel Name Differ
If you can identify the person's real name and their channel name is different, list the real name first with the channel name in brackets:
Sanderson, G. [3Blue1Brown]. (2023, September 8). But what is a neural network? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example456
In-text: (Sanderson, 2023)
If you can't determine the real name, just use the channel name as the author.
TED Talk
TED Talks follow a similar format, but the source depends on where you accessed the video:
On TED.com
Robinson, K. (2006, February). Do schools kill creativity? [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity
On YouTube
TED. (2007, January 6). Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example789
The difference: When you access a TED Talk on ted.com, the speaker is the author and the source is TED Conferences. When you access it on YouTube, the TED channel is the author (since TED uploaded it to YouTube) and the source is YouTube.
In-text (either version):
(Robinson, 2006) — if using the TED.com version
(TED, 2007) — if using the YouTube version
Use whichever version you actually watched, and cite it accordingly.
Film or Movie
Films list the director as the author, with their role noted in parentheses:
Reference list:
Nolan, C. (Director). (2010). Inception [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.
In-text citations:
Parenthetical:(Nolan, 2010)
Narrative:Nolan (2010) uses layered dream sequences to…
Key details:
- The director goes in the author position, with (Director) after their name.
- The date is the release year.
- The title is italicized, followed by [Film] in brackets.
- The source is the production company (studio).
Film With Multiple Directors
Wachowski, L., & Wachowski, L. (Directors). (1999). The Matrix [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.
Film in Another Language
Include the English translation of the title in square brackets after the original:
Bong, J. (Director). (2019). Gisaengchung [Parasite] [Film]. Barunson E&A.
TV Series Episode
For a single episode, list the writer(s) and director of that specific episode. The executive producers of the overall series go in the source position:
Single episode:
Gilligan, V. (Writer & Director). (2013, September 29). Felina (Season 5, Episode 16) [TV series episode]. In V. Gilligan, M. Johnson, & M. MacLaren (Executive Producers), Breaking bad. High Bridge Entertainment; Sony Pictures Television.
In-text:
(Gilligan, 2013)
Key details:
- The episode writer and director go in the author position.
- The episode title is in plain text (not italicized) because it's part of a larger work.
- The season and episode numbers are in parentheses after the episode title.
- [TV series episode] goes in brackets.
- The series title is italicized and preceded by "In" with the executive producers' names.
- The production company is the source.
Entire TV Series
If you're referencing the entire series rather than a specific episode:
Gilligan, V. (Executive Producer). (2008–2013). Breaking bad [TV series]. High Bridge Entertainment; Sony Pictures Television.
Streaming Video (Netflix, Disney+, etc.)
For streaming-exclusive content, the streaming platform is part of the source:
Rhimes, S. (Creator). (2020–present). Bridgerton [TV series]. Shondaland. Netflix.
For a specific episode on a streaming platform, follow the single-episode format above and include the streaming service as a secondary source if relevant.
Podcast Episode
Podcast episodes use a similar structure to TV episodes:
Single episode:
Koenig, S. (Host). (2014, October 3). The alibi (No. 1) [Audio podcast episode]. In Serial. WBEZ Chicago. https://serialpodcast.org/season-one/1/the-alibi
In-text:
(Koenig, 2014)
Key details:
- The host goes in the author position with (Host) after their name.
- The episode title is in plain text (part of a larger work).
- The episode number is in parentheses.
- [Audio podcast episode] goes in brackets.
- The podcast series name is italicized, preceded by "In."
Entire Podcast Series
Koenig, S. (Host). (2014–present). Serial [Audio podcast]. WBEZ Chicago. https://serialpodcast.org/
Music Album or Song
Song / Single Track
Lamar, K. (2017). HUMBLE. [Song]. On DAMN. Top Dawg Entertainment; Aftermath Entertainment; Interscope Records.
In-text: (Lamar, 2017)
Album
Swift, T. (2020). Folklore [Album]. Republic Records.
In-text: (Swift, 2020)
Details:
- The artist is the author.
- For a single track, the song title is in plain text with [Song] in brackets. "On Album Name" identifies the album.
- For a full album, the album title is italicized with [Album] in brackets.
Citing a Specific Timestamp In-Text
When you're quoting or referencing a specific moment in a video or audio source, include the timestamp as the locator in your in-text citation:
The speaker argued that "creativity is as important as literacy" (Robinson, 2006, 5:23).
At the 12-minute mark, the host introduces new evidence that contradicts the original timeline (Koenig, 2014, 12:04).
Use the format minutes:seconds (e.g., 5:23) or hours:minutes:seconds for longer content (e.g., 1:23:45).
Quick-Reference Table
| Source Type | Author Position | Title Format | Bracket Label | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube video | Channel name or real name | Italicized | [Video] | YouTube. URL |
| TED Talk (ted.com) | Speaker name | Italicized | [Video] | TED Conferences. URL |
| Film | Director (Director) | Italicized | [Film] | Production company |
| TV episode | Writer/Director | Plain text | [TV series episode] | Production company |
| TV series | Executive Producer | Italicized | [TV series] | Production company |
| Podcast episode | Host (Host) | Plain text | [Audio podcast episode] | Network. URL |
| Podcast series | Host (Host) | Italicized | [Audio podcast] | Network. URL |
| Song | Artist | Plain text | [Song] | Record label |
| Album | Artist | Italicized | [Album] | Record label |
Common Mistakes
These are the video citation errors we see most often:
- Forgetting the [Video] or [Film] label. The description in brackets is required — it tells the reader what type of source this is. Don't skip it.
- Using the wrong author for YouTube videos. The author is whoever uploaded the video, not necessarily the person speaking in it. If an organization uploaded a lecture by Professor Smith, the organization is the author.
- Confusing TED Talk sources. If you watched it on ted.com, the speaker is the author. If you watched it on YouTube via the TED channel, TED is the author. Use the version you actually accessed.
- Omitting the director's role label. For films, "(Director)" after the name is required — it clarifies the person's contribution.
- Putting the timestamp in the reference list. Timestamps are locators for in-text citations only, just like page numbers. They don't belong in the reference entry.
- Using the video description as the title. Use the actual title of the video as it appears on the platform, not a description or summary you wrote yourself.
What's Next
Now that you know how to cite videos, explore these related topics:
- How to Cite Social Media in APA Format — citing tweets, Instagram posts, and other social media content
- APA Reference List — the complete guide to formatting your reference entries
If you're citing video content for a research paper, Archivero can help you pull together properly formatted references for YouTube videos, films, and other media — saving you the trouble of remembering bracket labels and author conventions.
