How to cite a podcast episode (APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago, Harvard)
Podcast citations need two titles: the episode title and the show title. They may also need a host, guest, producer, episode number, date, platform, and URL. The main choice is whether you are citing one episode or the podcast series as a whole.
When to use this source type
Use this source type when you cite one podcast episode, whether you listened through the publisher's site, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR, BBC Sounds, or another app. The episode is the unit you used, and the show is the container. Hosts usually take the author role unless the style or credits point elsewhere.
Do not cite a podcast episode as a website or as a generic audio file. If you cite an interview within a podcast, still cite the episode unless the transcript is a separately published interview. If you refer to a specific moment, put the timestamp in your in-text citation, note, or prose.
Quick reference table
The same source facts appear in each style, but they move around. Check the author role, date detail, title formatting, container, locator, and the one style-specific rule before you paste a citation into your reference list.
| Style | Author | Date | Title | Container | URL or locator | Style note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Host surname and initials. | Episode date. | Episode title in sentence case. | [Audio podcast episode]. | Show title italicized. | URL to episode page. |
| MLA 9 | Host or episode creator. | Date as day month year. | Episode title in quotation marks. | Show title italicized. | Publisher or platform if useful. | URL and access date if needed. |
| Chicago | Host or creator as author. | Year after author. | Episode title in quotation marks. | Podcast title and date. | Medium or running time optional. | URL to episode page. |
| Harvard | Host surname and initials. | Year in parentheses. | Episode title in single quotation marks. | Show title italicized. | [Podcast] or audio label. | Available at URL and accessed date. |
APA 7 walkthrough
APA 7 starts with the same basic question: who is responsible for this podcast episode? For a podcast episode, use the host when the host is the credited creator of the episode. The date element uses the episode release date. The title element sets the episode title in sentence case and adds the audio podcast episode label. The source element italicizes the podcast show title. Finally, the locator element uses the direct episode URL rather than the general show feed. Work through those fields in order and the punctuation becomes much easier to control.
APA 7 makes the episode the reference-list item. Guests can be named in your prose when their words matter, but they usually do not replace the host as author. In text, use (Vedantam, 2024, 08:32). If you quote directly, add the page, paragraph, timestamp, or legal pin cite required by the style. If your source is online, prefer a stable URL or DOI over a search-result link, and remove tracking parameters before you submit the reference.
Vedantam, S. (2024, February 19). The science of memory [Audio podcast episode]. *Hidden Brain*. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-science-of-memory/
MLA 9 walkthrough
MLA 9 starts with the same basic question: who is responsible for this podcast episode? For a podcast episode, can start with the host, narrator, or episode creator. The date element uses the publication date for the episode. The title element puts the episode title in quotation marks. The source element uses the podcast title as the italicized container. Finally, the locator element adds publisher, platform, URL, or access date when they help retrieval. Work through those fields in order and the punctuation becomes much easier to control.
MLA container logic is especially useful here. The episode is the smaller work; the podcast series is the larger work. In text, use (Vedantam 08:32). If you quote directly, add the page, paragraph, timestamp, or legal pin cite required by the style. If your source is online, prefer a stable URL or DOI over a search-result link, and remove tracking parameters before you submit the reference.
Vedantam, Shankar "The science of memory [Audio podcast episode]." *Hidden Brain*, 19 Feb. 2024, hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-science-of-memory/. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
Chicago walkthrough
Chicago starts with the same basic question: who is responsible for this podcast episode? For a podcast episode, uses the host or creator in reference-list order. The date element places the year after the author. The title element puts the episode title in quotation marks. The source element names the podcast and release date. Finally, the locator element uses URL in the entry and timestamps in notes. Work through those fields in order and the punctuation becomes much easier to control.
Chicago can include Podcast audio and running time if the format matters. Keep platform names secondary unless the episode exists only on that platform. In text, use (Vedantam 2024, 08:32). If you quote directly, add the page, paragraph, timestamp, or legal pin cite required by the style. If your source is online, prefer a stable URL or DOI over a search-result link, and remove tracking parameters before you submit the reference.
Vedantam, Shankar. 2024. "The science of memory [Audio podcast episode]." Hidden Brain. accessed January 15, 2025. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-science-of-memory/.
Harvard walkthrough
Harvard starts with the same basic question: who is responsible for this podcast episode? For a podcast episode, uses the host surname and initials when the host is credited. The date element puts the release year after the author. The title element uses the episode title before the show title. The source element names the podcast series and identifies the medium. Finally, the locator element uses Available at plus the episode URL and Accessed date. Work through those fields in order and the punctuation becomes much easier to control.
Harvard variants differ on whether the show title or episode title is italicized. The important part is that both are present and clearly separated. In text, use (Vedantam, 2024, 08:32). If you quote directly, add the page, paragraph, timestamp, or legal pin cite required by the style. If your source is online, prefer a stable URL or DOI over a search-result link, and remove tracking parameters before you submit the reference.
Vedantam, Shankar (2024) The science of memory [Audio podcast episode]. [Online] Hidden Brain. Available at: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-science-of-memory/ (accessed January 15, 2025).
Common mistakes for this source type
Most errors come from forcing a podcast episode into the wrong template. Before submitting, check these details against the source itself, not against a database preview or a copied citation.
- Citing the whole show when you used one episode.
- Using the guest as author when the host is the credited creator.
- Linking to the podcast homepage instead of the episode page.
- Leaving out the episode date.
- Putting the timestamp in the reference list instead of the in-text citation.