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Citing a podcast on the web

How to Cite a Podcast [MLA, APA, & Chicago Styles]

Gone are the days of citing only print resources and web pages. In 2025, podcasts are an ever-growing source of unique content with valuable (and citable) information.

No matter which citation style you use, you'll need to find some basic information on the episode. Here's a list of the key elements you'll need (and how to find them): 

  • Author/creator
  • Title of the podcast
  • Title of the podcast episode
  • Publisher 
  • Publication Date (date episode was released)
  • Podcast URL 

Note: If the podcast you're citing doesn't have it's own website, you can use the URL from your podcast player, instead.

Apple Podcasts page with arrows pointing to relevant information

The good news is, most of the information you'll need is easy to find between your podcast player and a quick Google search, but how do you know whether you need to cite a podcast to begin with?

When you need to cite a podcast episode

Before you learn how to cite a podcast, let's review how to know whether it's necessary in your unique case.

Ask yourself these questions to determine whether you need to give credit to the show's creator:

  • Am I quoting the host/episode word-for-word?
  • Did I use information, data, or facts I found in a podcast?
  • Have I summarized ideas or am I paraphrasing the thoughts of the creator?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you'll need to cite the podcast to give credit to the host, or guest, whose work you reference. This helps to avoid plagiarism and any copyright issues.

Note: These citation formats are for academic, scholarly, and professional uses and can be used for citing podcasts in research papers, articles, books, and print pages.

Choose a citation style

showing each version of a citation

Most online citation generators are not programmed to cite podcast series, but you can use the templates below to accurately cite a podcast.

Citing your work involves using both in-text citation (or endnotes, in the case of Chicago Style) and a reference list. In-text citations let you cite sources within the body of your text and a reference list includes more details on those sources at the end of your content.

With Chicago style, you use endnotes to cite your information after the main text, but before the reference list, instead of using parenthetical citations.

To cite your podcast, pick the format that best matches the subject of the episode you're citing and plug in the relevant information! Here are tutorials that you can use to match each style guide:

MLA Style 8

Used for: Humanities (English, drama, religion, philosophy, law, & politics)

Reference:

Last, First, M.I. of creator. “Title of episode.” Name of Podcast, Name of publisher/where you listened to episode, Date it was posted, URL.

MLA 8 reference example in a green box

In-text citation:

(Host's last name, start time of revelant section-end time of section)

MLA 8 in-text citation example in a green box

APA format 7the edition

Used for: Social sciences (psychology, sociology, science, & medicine)

APA style asks for the "contributor title "( i.e. the title of the person you're citing). Most of the time, the contributor title will be "producer" or "host", but it can also be the episode's guest if you're citing their material.

Reference:

Last, First, M.I. (Contributor title). Date episode was published (Year, Month Day). Podcast title [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from URL.

APA 7 reference example in a green box

In-text citation:

(Podcast Title, Year)

APA 7 in-text parenthetical citation example in a green box

In-text direct quote:

(Host's last name, year, timestamp)

APA 7 in-text direct quote example in a green box

Or

Signal Phrase: “Kauffman (2020) said in his podcast…”

Chicago style 

Used for: Business, history, & fine arts (mostly used for published, scholarly works)

Reference:

Last, First, M.I. “Title of Podcast.” Produced by Company. Name of Podcast.  [Podcast audio], Month Day, Year episode was uploaded. Podcast URL

Chicago style podcast reference example in a green box

Endnotes (no in-text citations)

First, Last, M. Date of podcast. “Name of podcast.” Podcast audio. Episode title. Publisher. File type. Accessed Month Day, Year. Podcast URL

Chicago style endnotes example in a green box

Additional tools & resources:

Check out these helpful citation tools and guides to make the podcast citing process as quick, easy, and accurate as possible!

FAQs

Who gets top billing, the host or the executive producer?

  • APA lists the host as author; add “(Host)” in square brackets. Credit the executive producer only when that role is essential for identifying the source; list one or the other, nor both, in the author position.
  • MLA and Chicago can name either role but usually lead with the host; the producer moves to the contributor element (“produced by…”).

I found the same episode as a YouTube video and an audio file. Do I cite them together?

No. All three styles treat a YouTube video separately from the audio feed. Provide one reference for the video version and another for the audio podcast episode so readers can access either source.

How do I handle short clips of a podcast on social media?

  • APA citation follows the social-media template: author, date, first 20 words of the caption, [Video attached] or [Audio attached] in square brackets, platform name, and URL. Then cite the full episode elsewhere if you quote from it.
  • MLA and Chicago treat the clip as a social-media post; include handle, date, and direct link, plus a separate entry for the full episode if needed.

Where can I double-check example references?

  • Purdue OWL offers clear guides for APA, MLA, and Chicago.
  • Many university LibGuides (Georgetown, Cornell, etc.) provide side-by-side templates so you can confirm italics, punctuation, and line breaks before finalizing your bibliography.

Do I ever include an episode number in MLA or Chicago?

Yes. Both styles allow, but do not require, an episode or season number to help readers locate a specific segment. If the show numbers episodes, include that detail after the title (MLA) or after the date (Chicago).

Should I name the production company?

All three styles recommend listing the production company or network after the title information. If the show is fully independent, repeat the host’s name or use the brand under which episodes are released.

Do I need special notation for a bonus or unnumbered episode?

  • APA: write “Bonus episode” inside the square-bracket descriptor in place of the episode number.
  • MLA: describe it after the title, e.g., “Bonus episode,” before stating the host or producer.
  • Chicago: add “Bonus episode” after the date.

How do I cite a trailer or teaser that has no clear host?

Credit the production company as author in APA and Chicago; MLA places the company in the contributor slot after the title. If a narrator is named, you may list them as “Narrated by…”

Do citation styles require the platform, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts?

Only if that URL is the best access point. Otherwise, link to the show’s website. APA explicitly calls for a stable URL; MLA and Chicago prefer permanence but accept standard podcast links if no archive exists.