How to Cite a YouTube Video in Chicago Style — Free Generator

To cite a YouTube video in Chicago 17 (notes-bibliography style), use this bibliography format: Channel Name. "Video Title." YouTube video, duration. Month Day, Year. URL. Example: CrashCourse. "The History of Rome in 20 Minutes." YouTube video, 21:47. January 12, 2023. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123.

The citation generator produces this format when you pick the YouTube source type. Below is the full walkthrough including the footnote version (different from bibliography), timestamps, and the rare author-date Chicago format.

The Chicago 17 bibliography format for YouTube

Channel Name. "Video Title." YouTube video, duration. Month Day, Year. URL.

• Channel Name: The uploader, formatted Last, First if an individual (e.g., "Grant, Adam") or as displayed if a brand ("CrashCourse").
• "Video Title": In quotation marks, title case.
• YouTube video: Medium label (like "book" or "journal article" in other source types).
• Duration: Optional but recommended. Format: 21:47 or 1:05:32 (hh:mm:ss or mm:ss).
• Date: Full month name, day, year (January 12, 2023).
• URL: Full URL ending with a period (unless it ends with punctuation already).

The generator produces this bibliography-ready format. Generated example: CrashCourse. "The History of Rome in 20 Minutes." YouTube video. January 12, 2023. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123.

Note: the generator outputs without the duration field (since it asks only for title/date/URL). Add duration manually if your assignment requires it — most don't.

Footnote format (different from bibliography)

Chicago uses footnotes (or endnotes) for in-text citations in notes-bibliography style. The footnote format differs from the bibliography format:

Footnote (first mention):

1. Channel Name, "Video Title," YouTube video, Month Day, Year, URL.

Example footnote: 1. CrashCourse, "The History of Rome in 20 Minutes," YouTube video, January 12, 2023, https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123.

Footnote (subsequent mentions — shortened form):

2. Channel, "Shortened Title."

Example: 2. CrashCourse, "Rome in 20 Minutes."

Key differences from the bibliography version:

• Author name in first-last order (not inverted).
• Commas instead of periods between elements.
• No period before the URL.
• Footnote ends with a period.

The generator outputs the bibliography version. Converting to footnote is a fast manual edit once you know the pattern.

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Citing a specific moment in a video

For direct quotes or specific moments, include the timestamp in the footnote:

Format: 1. Channel Name, "Video Title," YouTube video, Month Day, Year, at 3:45, URL.

Example: 1. CrashCourse, "The History of Rome in 20 Minutes," YouTube video, January 12, 2023, at 3:45, https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123.

Format the timestamp as mm:ss for videos under an hour, hh:mm:ss for longer videos. Chicago 17 doesn't require zero-padding (3:45 is fine; 03:45 is also fine).

Bibliography entries don't include timestamps — those belong in footnotes attached to the specific point in your text.

Chicago author-date format (less common)

If your discipline uses Chicago author-date instead of notes-bibliography (more common in sciences), the YouTube format shifts slightly:

Reference list entry:

Channel Name. Year. "Video Title." YouTube video. Month Day. URL.

Example: CrashCourse. 2023. "The History of Rome in 20 Minutes." YouTube video. January 12. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123.

In-text: (Channel Year) — e.g., (CrashCourse 2023).

The generator produces the notes-bibliography format by default. To convert to author-date, move the year to right after the author name. Minor edit.

Unsure which Chicago style to use? Humanities and history: notes-bibliography. Sciences and social sciences (when Chicago is required — APA is more common): author-date. Check your style guide if unclear.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the footnote format in the bibliography (or vice versa). They're different. Bibliography uses periods and author-last-first; footnotes use commas and author-first-last.
• Forgetting to italicize journal names but italicizing YouTube. YouTube is not italicized in Chicago — it's treated as a platform/medium.
• Skipping the medium label. Chicago 17 wants "YouTube video" as a medium descriptor. Without it, the citation is incomplete.
• Using shortened URLs. Chicago 17 prefers full URLs. Don't use bit.ly or youtu.be — use the full youtube.com/watch?v=... URL.
• Missing trailing period. Bibliography entries end with a period after the URL. Footnotes also end with a period.
• Citing a channel page instead of a specific video. Cite the video URL (youtube.com/watch?v=specific-id), not the channel homepage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I use Chicago 17 or Chicago 18 for YouTube citations?

Chicago 17 (2017) is still the dominant edition in academic use. Chicago 18 (Sept 2024) is newer — check your course requirements. For YouTube citations specifically, the differences between the two editions are minor.

Should I include the video length?

Chicago 17 recommends but doesn't require the duration. Include it when the length is relevant to your citation (e.g., comparing short vs long-form content) or when your instructor specifies. Omit for short-form bibliographies.

What about YouTube Shorts — same citation format?

Yes — Shorts use the same Chicago 17 format. The URL will look slightly different (youtube.com/shorts/...), but the citation structure is identical.

How do I cite a lecture recorded by my professor and posted on YouTube?

Cite like any YouTube video — use the professor or the department as the channel, the lecture title in quotes, upload date, URL. If the video is private/restricted, you may need to note the access restriction.