How to Cite a Podcast (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard Styles)
Today, podcasts are a hub for experts discussing niche topics and providing unique perspectives that may not be available in academic literature. This makes them valuable resources both for enriching academic research and content creation in various fields. However, to effectively integrate these audio gems into your work, it is essential to know how to cite a podcast properly.
In this blog, we will:
- Highlight 3 different use cases of podcast citation
- Provide examples of how to cite a podcast in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles
Let’s get started.
Podcast Citation for Different Purposes
Before we delve into how to cite a podcast in various styles, we’ll first outline the different purposes for this practice and how they influence the citation approach. Whether you’re writing a research paper or drafting a business report, understanding the context is key to proper citation.
| Purpose | Why cite a podcast? | Used in | Citation styles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic and Research Purposes | To provide evidence, support claims, or reference ideas discussed in a podcast | Research papers, dissertations, journal articles | APA, MLA, Chicago |
| Content Creation | To give credit to the source or enhance credibility of your content | Blog posts, social media posts, YouTube descriptions | Informal formats (e.g. in-text citations with links to the original content) may be used depending on the content’s style |
| Business Purposes | To back up business claims, share insights, or offer expert opinions | Articles, reports, presentations, white papers | Business-appropriate styles such as Harvard |
How to Cite a Podcast in APA Style
APA (American Psychological Association) Style is mostly used in academic disciplines related to the social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, education, and economics. This style highlights the publication dates, which is crucial when citing podcasts since the timeliness of content can be important in many fields.
Here is how to cite a podcast in APA Style:
Podcast Series with Single Host
Format: Host Last Name, Initials. (Host). (Span of years). Title [Audio podcast]. Publisher. URL
Example: Fry, H. (Host). (2019-present). Google DeepMind: The Podcast [Audio and video podcast]. Google DeepMind. https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Fry, 2019-present).
Narrative citation in text: Fry (2019-present) shows that…
*If the podcast is offered in both audio and video formats, you can indicate that in the citation as demonstrated above.
*If the URL is not available (e.g. accessed via an app like Spotify), you can omit it from the citation.
Podcast Episode with Single Host
Format: Host Last Name, Initials. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Episode Title (episode number if known) [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast Name. Production Company. URL
Example: Hyman, M. (Host). (2024, May 30). Microplastics: What They Are, Why They are Dangerous, and How to Protect Yourself (No. 903) [Audio and video podcast episode]. In The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D. https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep903?_pos=1&_sid=dd73b2480&_ss=r
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Hyman, 2024).
Narrative citation in text: Hyman (2024) shows that…
*If you can’t find the podcast producer through additional research, you can omit it from the citation.
Podcast Series with Multiple Hosts
Format: Host Last Name, Initials. & Host Last Name, Initials. (Hosts). (Span of years). Title [Audio podcast]. Publisher. URL
Example: Roche, A. & Pellatt, F. (Hosts). (2022-present). The Labours of Hercule [Audio podcast]. Airwave Media.
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Roche & Pellatt, 2022-present)
Narrative citation in text: Roche and Pellatt (2022-present) say that…
Podcast Episode with Multiple Hosts
Format: Host Last Name, Initials. & Host Last Name, Initials. (Hosts). (Year, Month Day). Episode Title (episode number if known) [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast Name. Production Company. URL
Example: Roche, A. & Pellatt, F. (Hosts). (2024, June 30). Hercule Poirot’s Christmas [Audio podcast episode]. In The Labours of Hercule. Airwave Media.
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Roche & Pellatt, 2024).
Narrative citation in text: Roche and Pellatt (2024) say that…
Podcast Episode with Guest
Format: Host Last Name, Initials. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Episode Title (episode number if known) [Audio podcast episode] featuring Guest Last Name, Initials. In Podcast Name. Production Company. URL
Example: Fry, H. (Host). (2024, September 11). Decoding Google Gemini [Audio and video podcast episode] featuring Dean, J. In Google DeepMind: The Podcast. Google DeepMind. https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/decoding-google-gemini-with-jeff-dean/
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Fry & Dean, 2024).
Narrative citation in text: Fry and Dean (2024) say that…
How to Cite a Podcast in MLA Style
MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is primarily used in the humanities, especially fields such as literature, philosophy, and cultural studies. It prioritizes the author’s name and the title of the work, making it ideal for highlighting the creators of the podcast and the content discussed.
Here is how to cite a podcast in MLA Style:
Podcast Series with Single Host
Format: Last Name, First Name, role. Title of the Podcast. Publisher. Span of years. URL. Accessed Date.
Example: Fry, Hannah, host. Google DeepMind: The Podcast. Google DeepMind. 2019-present. https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/. Accessed 23 September 2024.
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Fry).
Narrative citation in text: Fry shares that…
Podcast Episode with Single Host
Format: Last Name, First Name, role. “Title of the Episode.” Title of the Podcast, season, episode, Publisher, Day Month Year (of publication), URL. Accessed Date.
Example: Hyman, Mark, host. “Microplastics: What They Are, Why They are Dangerous, and How to Protect Yourself.” The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D. , episode 903, May 30 2024, https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep903?_pos=1&_sid=dd73b2480&_ss=r. Accessed 23 September 2024.
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Hyman).
Narrative citation in text: Hyman argues that…
Podcast Series with Multiple Hosts
Format: Last Name, First Name, role, and Last Name, First Name, role. Title of the Podcast. Publisher. Span of years. URL. Accessed Date.
Example: Roche, Adam, and Pellatt, Frankie, hosts. The Labours of Hercule. Airwave Media. 2022-present. Accessed 23 September 2024.
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Roche and Pellatt).
Narrative citation in text: Roche and Pellatt discuss…
Podcast Episode with Multiple Hosts
Format: Last Name, First Name, role, and Last Name, First Name, role. “Title of the Episode.” Title of the Podcast, season, episode number, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Date.
Example: Roche, Adam, and Pellatt, Frankie, hosts. “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas.” The Labours of Hercule, Airwave Media, 30 June 2024. Accessed 23 September 2024.
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Roche and Pellatt).
Narrative citation in text: Roche and Pellatt show us…
Podcast Episode with Guest
Format: Last Name, First Name, role. “Title of the Episode.” Title of the Podcast, season, episode number, Publisher, Day Month Year, featuring Guest Last Name, First Name, role, URL. Accessed Date.
Example: Fry, Hannah, host. “Decoding Google Gemini.” Google DeepMind: The Podcast, season 3, episode 4, Google DeepMind, 11 September 2024, featuring Dean, Jeff, guest, https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/decoding-google-gemini-with-jeff-dean/. Accessed 23 September 2024.
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Fry and Dean).
Narrative citation in text: Fry and Dean discuss…
How to Cite a Podcast in Chicago Style
The Chicago Manual of Style is primarily used in history, literature, and the arts. It offers detailed citation formats, which can provide extensive information about the podcast, making it ideal for thorough research.
Here is how to cite a podcast in Chicago style:
Podcast Series with Single Host
Format: Host Last Name, First Name. Podcast Title. Produced by Producer Name. Span of years. URL.
Example: Fry, Hannah. Google DeepMind: The Podcast. Produced by Google DeepMind. 2019-present. https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/.
*In Chicago style, in-text citations for podcasts typically use footnotes or endnotes.
Footnote format: Hannah Fry, Google DeepMind: The Podcast, produced by Google DeepMind, 2019-present, https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/.
Podcast Episode with Single Host
Format: Host Last Name, First Name. “Episode Title.” Produced by Producer Name. Podcast Title. Publication Month Date, Year. Podcast, format, running time. URL.
Example: Hyman, Mark. “Microplastics: What They Are, Why They are Dangerous, and How to Protect Yourself.” The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D. May 30, 2024. Podcast, MP3 audio, 29:02. https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep903?_pos=1&_sid=dd73b2480&_ss=r.
Footnote format: Mark Hyman, “Microplastics: What They Are, Why They are Dangerous, and How to Protect Yourself,” The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D., May 30, 2024, podcast, MP3 audio, 29:02, https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep903?_pos=1&_sid=dd73b2480&_ss=r.
Podcast Series with Multiple Hosts
Format: Host Last Name, First Name, and Host Last Name, First Name. Podcast Title. Produced by Producer Name. Span of Years. URL.
Example: Roche, Adam, and Pellatt, Frankie. The Labours of Hercule. Produced by Airwave Media. 2022-present.
Footnote format: Adam Roche and Frankie Pellatt, The Labours of Hercule, produced by Airwave Media, 2022-present.
Podcast Episode with Multiple Hosts
Format: Host Last Name, First Name, and Host Last Name, First Name. “Episode Title.” Produced by Producer Name. Podcast Title. Publication Month Date, Year. Podcast, format, running time. URL.
Example: Roche, Adam, and Pellatt, Frankie. “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas.” Produced by Airwave Media. The Labours of Hercule. June 30, 2024. Podcast, MP3 audio, 1:34:52.
Footnote format: Adam Roche and Frankie Pellatt, “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas,” produced by Airwave Media, The Labours of Hercule, June 30, 2024, podcast, MP3 audio, 1:34:52.
Podcast Episode with Guest
Format: Host Last Name, First Name, and Guest First Name Last Name. “Episode Title.” Produced by Producer Name. Podcast Title. Publication Month Date, Year. Podcast, format, running time. URL.
Example: Fry, Hannah, and Jeff Dean. “Decoding Google Gemini.” Produced by Google DeepMind. Google DeepMind: The Podcast. September 11, 2024. Podcast, MP3 audio, 53:02. https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/decoding-google-gemini-with-jeff-dean/.
Footnote format: Hannah Fry and Jeff Dean, “Decoding Google Gemini,” produced by Google DeepMind, Google DeepMind: The Podcast, September 11, 2024, podcast, MP3 audio, 53:02, https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/decoding-google-gemini-with-jeff-dean/.
How to Cite a Podcast in Harvard Style
Harvard Style is primarily used in academic fields such as social sciences, natural sciences, and business and economics. It is less complex than other citation styles (such as Chicago), which makes it a convenient option for citing podcasts in research and professional writing.
Here is how to cite a podcast in Harvard Style:
Podcast Series with Single Host
Format: Host Last Name, Initials. (Year published) Title of Podcast. [Podcast]. Available at: URL (Accessed Day Month Year).
Example: Fry, H. (2019-present) Google DeepMind: The Podcast. [Podcast]. Available at: https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/ (Accessed 23 September 2024).
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Fry, 2024).
Narrative citation in text: Fry (2024) demonstrates that…
Podcast Episode with Single Host
Format: Host Last Name, Initials. (Year published) ‘Episode Title’, Title of Podcast, [Podcast]. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example: Hyman, M. (2024) ‘Microplastics: What They Are, Why They are Dangerous, and How to Protect Yourself’, The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D., [Podcast]. Available at: https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep903?_pos=1&_sid=dd73b2480&_ss=r (Accessed: 23 September 2024).
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Hyman, 2024).
Narrative citation in text: Hyman (2024) demonstrates that…
Podcast Series with Multiple Hosts
Format: Host Last Name, Initials., and Host Last Name, Initials. (Year published) Title of Podcast. [Podcast]. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example: Roche, A., and Pellatt, F. (2022-present) The Labours of Hercule. [Podcast]. (Accessed: 23 September 2024).
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Roche and Pellatt, 2022-present).
Narrative citation in text: Roche and Pellatt (2022-present) argue that…
Podcast Episode with Multiple Hosts
Format: Host Last Name, Initials., and Host Last Name, Initials. (Year published) ‘Episode Title’, Title of Podcast, [Podcast]. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example: Roche, A., and Pellatt, F. (2024) ‘Hercule Poirot’s Christmas’, The Labours of Hercule, [Podcast]. (Accessed: 23 September 2024).
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Roche and Pellatt, 2024).
Narrative citation in text: Roche and Pellatt (2024) argue that…
Podcast Episode with Guest
Format: Host Last Name, Initials., and Guest Last Name, Initials. (Year published) ‘Episode Title’, Title of Podcast, [Podcast]. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example: Fry, H., and Dean, J. (2024) ‘Decoding Google Gemini’, Google DeepMind: The Podcast, [Podcast]. Available at: https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast/decoding-google-gemini-with-jeff-dean/ (Accessed: 23 September 2024).
Parenthetical citation in text: … (Fry and Dean, 2024).
Narrative citation in text: Fry and Dean (2024) present that…
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I cite a podcast?
Yes, whether you’re writing an academic paper or a blog post, citing a podcast is crucial for staying ethical. This will not only give credit to the original creators and strengthen your own argument, but also help others find the source and verify the information you’re using.
Is a podcast a valid source?
Yes, a podcast is definitely a valid source if the hosts are credible, and the content is well-researched and fact-checked. It is even better if the podcast is produced by a reputable organization or network known for quality content. Still, make sure you critically evaluate the content as you would with any other source.
Summary
This blog shared examples on how to cite a podcast in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles. It focused on citing a whole podcast or a single episode for shows with a single host, multiple hosts, and a host with a guest.
Here are our 3 golden rules for citing podcasts:
- Consider the context of your research or content. Choose the citation style that best aligns with your goals and audience.
- Double-check the citation generator. Verify the results for correctness and adherence to the required style guidelines.
- Italicize the podcast title. This is a standard practice across most citation styles.
By mastering the citation techniques in this blog, you can confidently utilize podcasts as informative resources in your projects. Happy listening and learning!
