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How to Cite a YouTube Video in Chicago Manual of Style

Cite a YouTube video in Chicago by the person or channel that uploaded it, the video title in quotation marks, the word YouTube, the upload date, and the URL. Add the running time or a timestamp in a note when you cite a specific moment.

Citation style Chicago Manual of Style
Source type YouTube Video

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How to cite a youtube video in Chicago step by step

  1. Identify the uploader. Use the channel or account that posted the video as the author, since Chicago treats the uploader as responsible for the content.
  2. Title the video. Put the video title in quotation marks exactly as shown on the watch page.
  3. Name the platform. Add YouTube as the site and note the medium, such as video, where helpful.
  4. Upload date. Give the date the video was posted, not the date you watched it.
  5. URL and timestamp. Paste the full watch URL, and in a note add the timestamp for the exact moment you reference.

Chicago youtube video citation format

Chicago orders a YouTube video as uploader, title, YouTube, upload date, and URL. A footnote can add a timestamp to point to a precise moment, which the worked example shows.

Reference list entry
World Health Organization. 2020. “Healthy Diet.” WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet.
In-text citation
(TED 2010)

Common youtube video citation variations

How do I cite a YouTube video where the uploader is a channel name not a person in Chicago?

Use the channel name as the author exactly as it appears. If a real creator is also credited on the page, you may give the person and note the channel.

How do I cite a specific timestamp in a YouTube video in Chicago?

Add the time in the footnote after the title, for example at 4:35, so the reader can jump to the exact passage you discuss.

How do I cite a YouTube video with no upload date in Chicago?

Use n.d. for the date and add your access date in the note, since streaming content can change or be removed.

Should I include the running time of a YouTube video in Chicago?

You can give the total running time after the medium to signal length, but the timestamp in the note is what locates your specific reference.

Cite any source in Chicago

Cite journal article Cite a journal article with author, journal, volume and DOI. Cite book Cite a book with author, title, publisher and year. Cite website Cite a web page with author, site name, URL and access date. Cite image Cite an image, figure or photograph with creator, title and source. Cite pdf Cite a PDF report or document with author, title and source. Cite chatgpt Cite ChatGPT or another AI chatbot with model, owner, date and prompt.

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YouTube Video citation FAQ

Is the uploader or the speaker the author in Chicago?

Chicago uses the uploader as the author because they control the posted version, though you can name the speaker in your sentence for clarity.

Do I italicize a YouTube video title in Chicago?

No. A short online video title goes in quotation marks rather than italics.