How to Cite a Podcast in APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard

What Information You Need

Collect these details from the podcast's website or the app you listened on. The podcast's own website usually gives the most complete information.

The examples below use a fictional podcast, The Learning Lab, hosted by Maya Rivera and produced by Northfield Media, so the patterns are easy to follow. Replace each element with your own source's details.

Citing a Podcast in APA 7

Episode reference format

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (No. #) [Audio podcast episode]. In Title of podcast. Publisher. URL

Example

• List the host as author, followed by "(Host)". If there are executive producers you are crediting instead, use "(Executive Producer)".
• The episode title is in plain text, sentence case; the podcast title is italicised.
• Include the episode number in parentheses if there is one, and the description "[Audio podcast episode]" or "[Video podcast episode]".
• Omit the publisher if it is the same as the host.
• If the URL comes from a listening app rather than the podcast's own site, use the website URL where possible, since it is easier for readers to access.

Whole podcast

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year range). Title of podcast [Audio podcast]. Publisher. URL

In-text citation

Parenthetical: (Rivera, 2025). With a timestamp for a direct quotation: (Rivera, 2025, 14:32). Narrative: Rivera (2025) explained that...

Citing a Podcast in MLA 9

Works Cited format

Host Last Name, First Name, host. "Title of Episode." Title of Podcast, season #, episode #, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.

Example

• Starting with the host is common when your discussion focuses on the host. If you focus on the episode itself, MLA also allows starting with the episode title.
• Put the episode title in quotation marks and title case; italicise the podcast title as the container.
• Include season and episode numbers where they exist.
• If you listened on an app, you can add the platform as a second container, for example Spotify, before the URL.

In-text citation

Use the first element of the entry and a time range for specific moments: (Rivera 00:14:32-00:15:05).

Citing a Podcast in Chicago

Notes and bibliography: note

Bibliography entry

The running time (here 42:10) is optional but helpful. To refer to a specific moment, add the timestamp in the note, for example "at 14:32". Earlier editions of the Chicago Manual included the audio format, such as "MP3 audio", which some instructors still expect.

Author-date

Reference: Rivera, Maya, host. 2025. "Why Sleep Shapes Memory." The Learning Lab. Northfield Media, March 4, 2025. Podcast, 42:10. URL. In text: (Rivera 2025).

Citing a Podcast in Harvard

Harvard formats vary by institution. A widely used pattern is:

Host (Year) 'Title of episode', Title of podcast [Podcast]. Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

In text: (Rivera, 2025), with a timestamp for quotations if your guide asks for one. See our Harvard referencing guide for variations.

IEEE and Vancouver

Engineering, computing and health sciences papers sometimes cite podcasts too. Both styles use numbered references, and journal versions differ in punctuation, so check your department's version.

IEEE (common pattern):

Vancouver (common pattern):

Our IEEE guide and Vancouver guide cover the general rules for numbering and reference order.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Special Cases

Citing a guest rather than the host

Reference entries list the host (or producers), not the guest. To credit a guest's words, name them in your sentence: "Sleep researcher Dr Ana Kim explained on The Learning Lab that... (Rivera, 2025, 14:32)." In MLA, you may start the entry with the guest if your discussion focuses on them, using a descriptor such as "guest" if your instructor allows it.

Video podcasts

If you watched the episode as a video, use "[Video podcast episode]" in APA. If it is published on YouTube, you can follow our YouTube citation guide instead.

No episode number

Simply omit the number. Season numbers are only needed if the podcast uses them.

Transcripts

If you quote from a published transcript, you can cite the episode and add the transcript's URL, or cite the transcript as a web page if that is what you used. Check transcripts against the audio, since automated transcripts can contain errors.

Multiple hosts

List up to the number of authors your style allows, each followed by the host label: in APA, "Rivera, M., & Osei, K. (Hosts)."

Radio broadcasts

If you heard a programme on the radio rather than as a podcast, most styles use a separate radio broadcast format. Cite the podcast version if that is how you accessed it.

Quoting From a Podcast

• Transcribe carefully and check against the audio.
• Give a timestamp for every direct quotation.
• Attribute the speaker in your sentence, especially when the speaker is a guest.
• Paraphrase longer discussions rather than quoting at length, and still cite the episode.

A Worked Example in Context

APA 7:

MLA 9:

Podcasts in Annotated Bibliographies

If you include a podcast in an annotated bibliography, the annotation should explain who is speaking and why their view is credible, summarise the main argument or evidence discussed in the episode, and note any limitations, such as an interview format that presents one perspective or claims made without references. Mention whether the episode points to published research you have also consulted. See our annotated bibliography guide for structure.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Listing the guest as author in APA. The host or producer is the author.
• Missing the podcast title or confusing it with the episode title.
• No timestamp on direct quotations.
• Citing a listening app instead of the podcast when a podcast website exists.
• Inconsistent capitalisation: sentence case in APA, title case in MLA and Chicago.
• Relying on uncorrected automated transcripts.