Anyone who's ever created content for the web knows that proper citation is key. When it comes to citing a podcast, things can get a little tricky since they don't follow the traditional rules of printed material. That's why we've put together this complete guide on how to cite a podcast. So whether you're quoting a podcast on your blog or in a paper, you'll know exactly how to do it!
A Brief Summary of Citation Formats
Before we tell you how to cite a podcast, let's understand why you need to cite it in the first place! In other words, what really are citation formats and why do we need them?
Citation formats are the guidelines that dictate how you should cite a source in your work. They exist to ensure that all sources are properly credited and to prevent plagiarism.
There are different citation formats for different types of sources, such as books, journals, and websites. And within each format, there are specific rules about which elements to include in your citation and in what order they should appear.
The most common citation format is MLA style, which is used for papers written in the humanities. APA style is used for papers written in the social sciences, while Chicago style is used for papers written in the arts and humanities.
It's important to use the correct citation format for your field of study, and to always follow the formatting rules exactly.
Here are some of the most popular citation formats:
- MLA style
- APA style
- Chicago style
- Harvard style
- Vancouver style
For podcasts, the two most common citation formats are MLA and APA
MLA & APA for Podcast Citation
There are two main citing formats that you can use when citing a podcast: MLA and APA.
MLA format is most commonly used in the humanities, while APA format is typically used in the social sciences.
Here's a quick breakdown of each format:
- MLA format:
- Author's last name, first name.
- "Title of Episode."
- Title of Podcast,
- Date of Publication,
- URL.
- APA format:
- Author's last name, first initial. (Year, Month Day).
- Title of episode.
- Title of Podcast.
- Retrieved from URL
And that's all there is to citing a podcast! Just remember to include as much information as possible so that your reader can easily find the episode that you're referencing.
How to Include a Timestamp
If you want to quote a specific part of the podcast episode, you'll need to include a timestamp.
A timestamp is simply the time at which something occurred. In this case, it's the time at which the particular part of the podcast that you're quoting begins.
For example, let's say you want to quote the following passage from an episode of the TED Radio Hour:
"The tools of reason, the rules of logic, these are not invented things. They're discovered. They're out there. And if we use them, we can solve problems."
The timestamp for this quote would be approximately 1:15:00, which is where the quote begins in the episode. To include a timestamp in your citation, simply add it in your in-text citation after the host's last name, following the blank:
APA: (Last name, Date, Timestamp)
MLA: (Lat name Timestamp)
If the podcast has two or more hosts, list all their last names in the podcast citation. For APA List them using "&," for MLA with "and." So it would be:
APA: (Last name & Last name, Date, Timestamp)
MLA: (Last name and Last name Timestamp)
So now you know how to cite a podcast more specifically, let's take a look at the examples of podcast citation using different citing formats.
An example of how to cite a podcast
Here's how to cite a podcast,
For MLA:
Krasny, Michael. "The Benefits of Podcasting." The Conversation, 20 Dec. 2017, https://www.theconversation.com/the-benefits-of-podcasting-87581. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.
For APA:
Krasny, M. (2017, December 20). The Benefits of Podcasting. Retrieved February 4, 2018, from https://www.theconversation.com/the-benefits-of-podcasting-87581
For Chicago:
Krasny, Michael. "The Benefits of Podcasting." The Conversation, 20 Dec. 2017, https://www.theconversation.com/the-benefits-of-podcasting-87581. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.
Harvard
Krasny, M. 2017. 'The Benefits of Podcasting', The Conversation, 20 December. Available at: https://www.theconversation.com/the-benefits-of-podcasting-87581 Accessed 4 February 2018.
Vancouver:
Krasny M. The benefits of podcasting. The Conversation. 2017 Dec 20; https://www.theconversation.com/the-benefits-of-podcasting-87581. Accessed 2018 Feb 4.
Final Thoughts
Citations can seem confusing at first, but they’re a necessary part of academic writing. The MLA and APA formats are the most common styles for citing podcasts, and both are pretty straightforward. We hope this guide has helped clear up any questions you had about how to cite a podcast. If you still have questions, be sure to reach out to your instructor or campus librarian for help. Thanks for reading!
