How to cite a podcast

Podcast citing information

Regardless of what citing style you need to use, you will need;

1. The full name of whoever created and posted the content

   This can be the name of whoever is narrating it, the name of the company that made it, or even just someone's username. This can easily be found when you listen to the podcast as they all need to be posted by someone.

2. Podcast Title

   Self-evident. Remember, we're talking about the title of the actual podcast itself.

3. Episode title

   If your podcast is one of many from a series, then you need to have the correct episode title.

4. Publisher

   Where you found the content and where it was published for people to consume. This could be iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or it may even be YouTube if you watched the podcast.

5. Published Date

   The exact date of when the podcast was initially posted. This is not the same as the date you listened/watched it! However, you should also make a note of that as well.

6. Podcast link

   Exact URL of the podcast to use as a link.

How to cite a podcast in Harvard

1. State the Author/Presenter of the podcast or the Company Name
2. Put the Year Published (put this in round brackets)
3. State the Episode Title - this might just be a number, but put it in italics, and followed by [podcast]
4. Add the Podcast Title
5. Podcast URL
6. Access Date

Here's an example:

Carlin, D. (2021). _Supernova in the East II_. [podcast] Hardcore History. Available at: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/dan-carlins-hardcore-history/id173001861?mt=2 [Accessed 30 Jan. 2021].

For the in-text citation, you just need the name of the podcast author and the date it was published. So, for the above example, it would merely be (Carlin, 2021).

How to cite a podcast in MLA 8th edition

For the full MLA referencing style, things are slightly different. If this is the method you use, then take a look at the info below:

1. To start, you need the Last Name, First Name of the podcast creator (if there's no name given, then put the username or name of the company)
2. Next, you have the "Title Of The Podcast Episode" - make sure you put it in quotation marks
3. Then, put Title Of The Podcast in italics
4. After that, you have to put the name of where the podcast was published
5. The penultimate step is putting in the Date The Podcast Was Posted
6. Lastly, stick the URL in there

Here's an example of podcast citing in MLA (we'll be using the same podcast for all examples, just to make life easier):

Carlin, Dan. "Supernova in The East II". _Hardcore History_, iTunes, 12 Jan. 2021. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/dan-carlins-hardcore-history/id173001861?mt=2. Accessed 30 Jan 2021.

For the in-text citation, it's similar to Harvard, but you don't need to put the year in. So, it would just be (Carlin).

How to cite a podcast in APA

APA citation is much more straightforward and easier to follow. If you need to use this when citing a podcast in your paper, then user our apa citation generator or follow the following structure and examples:

1. Start with the name of the podcast creator/author in this format: Last Name, First Name Initial, Middle Name Initial. (Put in rounded brackets their title, e.g. author)
2. Then, display the Date Published in this structure: Year, Month Date.
3. Next, you need to put the Podcast Episode Title in italics
4. Follow this by putting [Audio podcast] to show what your source actually is
5. Lastly, put Retrieved From, following by the URL

Here's your example:

Carlin, D (Host). (2021, January 12) _Supernova in the East II_ [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/dan-carlins-hardcore-history/id173001861?mt=2

When citing this in-text, it's the exact same format as Harvard referencing; (Carlin, 2021).

How to cite a podcast in Chicago Format

The Chicago style format is currently in its 17th edition. For anyone that uses this particular style, follow this structure or use our chicago citation generator:

1. Begin with the podcast creators Last Name, First Name - if it's a company or username, then just use that instead
2. Put the "Episode Title" in quotation marks
3. Put the Podcast Title in italics
4. After this, make sure you put Podcast audio before the next step
5. From here, you input the Month Date, Year of Publication
6. Finally, you finish things off with the URL

So, using our previous example, a Chicago-style citation will look like this:

Carlin, Dan. "Supernova in the East II". _Hardcore History_. Podcast Audio. January 12, 2021. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/dan-carlins-hardcore-history/id173001861?mt=2

When you cite this in-text, you simply put the author and date, with no comma; (Carlin 2021).

Summary

To end this article, we'll briefly summarize everything so you know exactly how to cite a podcast depending on your referencing style.

Harvard Referencing Structure:

Last Name, First Initial. (Year Published). _Podcast Episode Title_. [podcast] Title Of Podcast. Available at: URL [Date Accessed]

MLA 8th Edition Citation Structure:

Last Name, First Name. "Podcast Episode Title". _Podcast Title_, Publisher Name/Where You Listened To It, Date Podcast Was Posted, URL.

APA Citation Structure:

Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial(s). (Podcast Contributors Title). (Year, Month Date).{' '} _Episode Title_ [Audio Podcast] Retrieved from URL.

Chicago Referencing Structure:

Last Name, First Name. "Title Of Podcast Episode". _Title Of Podcast_. Podcast Audio, Month Date, Year Published. URL

There you have it, you should be able to cite a podcast in any of these styles, and feel free to refer back to the examples laid out earlier on. Remember, it's essential that you learn how to cite things correctly when writing a paper. If this is an academic paper that's being marked, then you could easily lose points by getting it wrong. Ensure you know how to reference in-text and at the end of the paper in a bibliography.

If you want to make your life a lot easier, then you can use our podcast cite tool that lets you put in all the information and generates the perfect reference for you. Just make sure you select the correct referencing style when using tools like this!