bibliottHow to Cite a YouTube video in MLA 9th edition
Format, in-text rule, and a copy-paste example for YouTube videos in MLA. Citing a YouTube video, lecture, or talk by URL.
MLA format for YouTube videos
"Title of Video." YouTube, uploaded by Uploader, Day Month Year, URL.
"The Future of Citation in Academic Research." YouTube, uploaded by TED, 10 June 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123.
Pro tip
MLA puts the video title first and the uploader second — opposite of APA.
Information you need
Before generating your MLA citation, gather these details from the youtube video:
Uploader (the channel that posted it)
Upload date
Video title
Site name (YouTube)
URL
Common mistakes to avoid
✗Listing the speaker as the author when the channel uploaded it
✗Including only the year — most styles want the full upload date
✗Citing a clip URL when the canonical video URL is what should be cited
Other MLA guides
Frequently asked questions
For a youtube video in MLA, you'll need: Uploader (the channel that posted it), Upload date, Video title, Site name (YouTube), URL. bibliott auto-detects most of these from a URL or DOI.
Listing the speaker as the author when the channel uploaded it
Yes — the example follows the official MLA 9th edition format. Replace the author, title, year and other fields with your source's data, or use the bibliott generator to do it automatically.