How to Cite a Video in APA: Complete Guide with Examples

Okay, let's talk about citing videos in APA. Seriously, it trips up so many people. You're writing a paper, you find the *perfect* video clip to support your point, and then... panic. How on earth do you properly reference this thing in APA format? Youtube? Netflix? Some obscure documentary film? It shouldn't be this confusing, but honestly, APA video citation rules can feel like a maze. I remember sweating over this in grad school, worrying my references page would get shredded. Let's fix that for you.

This guide cuts through the jargon. We'll cover every common video type you'll encounter – YouTube, TikTok, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, documentaries, films, even TED Talks – and show you exactly how to cite a video in APA format for both your reference list and your in-text citations. No fluff, just clear templates and real examples.

The Core APA Video Citation Template: Breaking it Down

The basic structure APA wants for a video citation looks like this:

Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (of Producer/Uploader/Channel). (Year, Month Day). Title of video in sentence case [Video]. Platform Name. URL

Seems simple, right? But here's where it gets messy: Who exactly do you credit? The director? The uploader? The production company? And what if you can't find a publish date? That's what causes most of the headaches. Let's tackle the most common scenarios one by one.

Citing YouTube Videos in APA: The Good, The Bad, and The Tricky

YouTube is probably the biggest source of video citations these days. How to cite a YouTube video in APA follows the core template, but with specific nuances:

Full YouTube APA Citation Example:

National Geographic. (2022, August 10). Rare ghost shark captured on camera for the first time [Video]. YouTube. youtube.com/watch?v=lmnopqrstuv

Honestly, the hardest part is often finding that upload date. Sometimes it's tucked away. Skip it at your peril – your professor will notice.

Citing Films & Movies: Streaming vs. Physical Media

Citing a whole movie? APA treats films accessed via streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+) differently than physical media (DVDs, Blu-rays) or films seen in a theater. Why? Because APA prioritizes the source you actually used.

How to cite a film from a streaming service in APA:

Focus on the director(s) as authors and the streaming service as the "publisher". You usually won't include a URL.

Director Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Director). (Year of release). Title of movie in italics and sentence case [Film]. Production Company(s). Streaming Service Name.

Example (Netflix):

Del Toro, G. (Director). (2022). Pinocchio [Film]. Netflix Animation, Double Dare You Productions, The Jim Henson Company. Netflix.

Example (Disney+):

Favreau, J. (Director). (2019). The lion king [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures, Fairview Entertainment. Disney+.

How to cite a physical DVD/Blu-ray in APA:

Similar structure, but specify the format and potentially the distributor if different.

Director Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Director). (Year of release). Title of movie in italics and sentence case [Film; Format descriptor]. Distributor.

Example:

Nolan, C. (Director). (2020). Tenet [Film; Blu-ray]. Warner Home Video.

I find the distributor info sometimes feels pedantic, especially for mainstream releases, but APA wants it for physical media.

Citing Videos from Subscription Databases & Academic Platforms

Found a great documentary on Kanopy, Alexander Street, or Academic Video Online? APA handles these similarly to streaming services, but you DO include a URL.

Producer Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. OR Producer Group Name. (Year). Title of video in italics and sentence case [Film or Documentary or Video]. Database Name. URL

Example (Kanopy):

Green, R. (Director). (2018). Bisbee '17 [Documentary]. 4th Row Films. Kanopy. kanopy.com/product/bisbee-17

Example (Alexander Street):

American Psychological Association. (2016). Ethics in psychological research [Video]. Alexander Street. alexanderstreet.com/product/ethics-psychological-research

Citing TED Talks & Webinars in APA

TED Talks are super popular sources. How to cite a TED Talk video in APA depends on where you watched it.

On the TED Website:

Speaker Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year, Month). Title of talk in sentence case [Video]. TED Conferences. URL

Example:

Robinson, K. (2006, June). Do schools kill creativity? [Video]. TED Conferences. ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity

On YouTube:

Speaker Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of talk in sentence case [Video]. YouTube. URL

Example:

Sandberg, S. (2010, December 21). Why we have too few women leaders [Video]. YouTube. youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4

See the difference? It's all about reflecting where *you* accessed it. TED Talks often live in both places.

Citing TikTok, Instagram Reels, & Other Short-Form Video

Social media videos are increasingly cited. How to cite a TikTok video in APA or an Instagram Reel follows a similar pattern to YouTube, but with the specific platform.

Account Holder [@username]. (Year, Month Day). First few words of caption (if any) in sentence case... [Video]. Platform Name. URL

Example (TikTok):

NASA [@nasa]. (2023, November 8). Just hanging out in the vacuum chamber... #NASA #Space #Testing [Video]. TikTok. tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7310845839476092206

Example (Instagram Reel):

Smithsonian Channel [@smithsonianchannel]. (2023, October 31). A look inside the world's largest collection of pumpkins [Video]. Instagram. instagram.com/reel/CzF1a9ZuR7K/

The key here is using the account holder's name and @handle, grabbing the date, and using the first few descriptive words of the caption as the title (never just "Video #123").

Handling Tricky Situations & Missing Information

Real life isn't always neat. Videos often lack clear attribution or dates. APA has rules for that.

Missing Author/Uploader:

• Move the video title to the author position.
• Follow it with the date in parentheses.
• Then add the description [Video].

Example:

DIY home weatherization tips. (2022, November 15). [Video]. YouTube. youtube.com/watch?v=wxyz123456

Missing Date:

• Use (n.d.) in place of the year.
• "n.d." stands for "no date".

Example:

HistoryBuff [@HistoryBuffOfficial]. (n.d.). Uncovering the secrets of Roman aqueducts [Video]. TikTok. tiktok.com/@HistoryBuffOfficial/video/123456789

Missing Title:

• Provide a brief, descriptive title in square brackets. Make it clear.

Example:

Jones, A. [@AJonesReports]. (2023, July 10). [Interview with climate scientist Dr. Lee about ocean currents] [Video]. X (formerly Twitter). twitter.com/AJonesReports/status/1678901234567890

Citing a Specific Clip or Timestamp

Need to point your reader to a specific moment? You handle this in the in-text citation, NOT the reference list entry.

(Author or Title, Year, Timestamp)

Examples:

• (National Geographic, 2022, 1:15)
• (DIY home weatherization tips, 2022, 3:45-4:20)
• (Robinson, 2006, 12:30)

This is super helpful for directing readers to the exact evidence you're using.

APA In-Text Citations for Videos

Your reference list entry gives the full details. Your in-text citation tells the reader *which* source you're referring to at that specific point in your paper. For videos, it's straightforward:

(Author/Creator Last Name or Group Name, Year)

(Title of Video in Italics if no author, Year)

Examples:

• The behavior was clearly documented in the field study (National Geographic, 2022).
• Robinson (2006) argued passionately for educational reform focused on creativity.
• Visual illusions demonstrate the brain's interpretive nature (Understanding perception, 2021).

Combine this with the timestamp trick mentioned above if needed.

Citing Videos vs. Transcripts: Knowing the Difference

This catches people off guard. Did you actually watch the video, or did you only read the transcript? APA requires you cite what you actually used.

Cite the Video (if you watched it): Use the formats described above.

Cite the Transcript (if you only read it): Treat it like a document on a website.

Author Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of video transcript in sentence case [Transcript of video]. Website Name. URL

Example:

Robinson, K. (2006, June). Do schools kill creativity? [Transcript of video]. TED Conferences. ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity/transcript

It seems minor, but consistency matters. Your reader needs to know what source you engaged with.

APA Video Citation FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered

Let's tackle those specific, nitty-gritty questions people actually search for when figuring out how to cite a video in APA.

Do I cite the director or the uploader for a film?

For the *whole film*, especially on streaming or physical media, cite the director as the author. For a clip uploaded by a random channel on YouTube, cite the uploader/channel. Context is key.

What if the creator name and uploader name are different?

This is super common on YouTube. APA says to cite the uploader as the author for the reference list entry. However, you can credit the original creator in your sentence if it's important. For example:

In a lecture excerpt uploaded by Stanford Online (2020), Professor Dweck discusses...

Then cite "Stanford Online" in your reference list.

How do I cite a webinar I attended live?

Treat it like a video, but note it was a webinar and include the platform/organizer.

Presenter Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of webinar in sentence case [Webinar]. Organization Name. URL (if recorded and available)

Example:

Johnson, M. (2024, January 25). Advances in neuroimaging techniques [Webinar]. American Psychological Association.

If you only have the live date and no recording URL exists, you can omit the URL.

How do I cite a video game cutscene or trailer?

Generally, cite the game developer/publisher as the author. Specify it's a video game trailer or cutscene.

Developer/Publisher Name. (Year). Title of trailer/cutscene [Video game trailer/Cinematic] [Video]. Platform Name (if applicable). URL

Example:

CD Projekt Red. (2023). Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty — Official trailer [Video game trailer] [Video]. YouTube. youtube.com/watch?v=cyberpunkexample

How to cite a video in APA without an author or date?

We covered this in the tricky situations section! Move the title to the author spot. Use (n.d.) for no date.

Do I need to include the channel URL for YouTube?

No! APA requires the direct URL to the specific video itself, not the main channel page. Copy the URL from your browser's address bar when you're watching that exact video.

Should I include the video duration?

No. APA 7th edition does not require including the video length in the reference list entry.

How do I cite a DVD extra or bonus feature?

Treat it like its own video. Credit the director or producer of the specific extra feature, if known.

Director/Producer Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of extra feature [Featurette/Documentary/Interview] [Video]. On Title of main film in italics [DVD or Blu-ray]. Distributor.

Example:

Jackson, P. (Director). (2004). The battle for Helm's Deep is over... [Featurette] [Video]. On The lord of the rings: The two towers (extended edition) [DVD]. New Line Home Entertainment.

Common APA Video Citation Mistakes to Avoid

Based on years of grading papers, here are the slip-ups I see ALL the time when people try to cite videos in APA:

• Forgetting the Italics: The video/film/documentary title MUST be in italics.
• Misplacing Brackets: The [Video] descriptor goes AFTER the title, before the period. Not around the platform.
• Using the Wrong Date: Confusing the video creation date with the upload date. APA wants the date it was posted publicly online (for web videos) or the release year (for films).
• Ignoring the Uploader: For YouTube/TikTok/etc., citing the original creator instead of the uploader account in the reference list author position.
• Including "Retrieved from" or Access Dates: APA 7th ditched "Retrieved from" and generally doesn't need access dates for stable online videos.
• Messy URLs: Including tracking parameters (?list=...), shortened URLs (bit.ly/...), or forgetting to remove "https://". Use the clean, direct video URL.
• Capitalizing Every Word: APA uses sentence case for titles (capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon).

Putting it All Together: Why Consistency Matters

Learning how to cite a video in APA correctly isn't just about pleasing your instructor or avoiding plagiarism checkers (though that's important!). It's about building scholarly credibility. Clear, consistent citations:

• Allow your readers to find your sources easily.
• Demonstrate the breadth and quality of your research.
• Give proper credit to the creators whose work you built upon.
• Show you understand the conventions of academic writing.

It takes practice. Don't be discouraged if you have to double-check the rules the first few times. Bookmark this guide – I wish I had something this comprehensive back when I was writing my thesis!

Final thought: When in doubt, ask yourself: "Could someone else find this exact video based solely on my reference?" If the answer is yes, you've probably nailed how to cite a video in APA.