Learning how to cite a podcast is easier once you know which parts of the episode each style cares about: the host, the episode title, the show title, the publisher, the date, and the URL. This guide shows you the correct format for a whole podcast episode in APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, and Chicago 17th edition, with copy-ready examples and matching in-text forms.
What information you need before you cite
Most podcast citations use the same core details. Gather these before you start, and you can format the entry in any style:
- Host or creator name: the person who presents the episode (treated as the author in APA and Chicago).
- Role label: usually “Host,” sometimes “Executive Producer” or “Producer.”
- Episode title: the title of the specific episode you used.
- Episode number: if the show numbers its episodes.
- Show title: the name of the overall podcast series.
- Publisher or production company: for example, a network or studio.
- Date: when the episode was published.
- URL: the web address where you listened.
If a detail is genuinely missing, leave it out rather than guessing. If you only listened to a clip and want to point a reader to a moment, note the timestamp in your in-text citation.
How to cite a podcast in APA (7th edition)
In APA, you cite a single episode like a chapter inside a larger work. The host is the author, and you add the role in parentheses. The episode title is in italics, followed by a bracketed description, then the show title.
Format: Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Episode title (No. X) [Audio podcast episode]. In Show title. Publisher. URL
Smith, J. (Host). (2023, March 14). How memory works (No. 42) [Audio podcast episode]. In The science hour. Acme Audio. https://example.com/science-hour/42
In-text: (Smith, 2023). Narrative: Smith (2023) explained…
If you cite an entire podcast series rather than one episode, use the executive producer as the author and label the whole work as [Audio podcast]. For a single quoted moment, add a timestamp: (Smith, 2023, 12:45). Capitalize the episode and show titles in sentence case, which means only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized. For more on the wider style, see our APA format guide, and build entries quickly with the APA citation generator.
How to cite a podcast in MLA (9th edition)
MLA uses its container system. The episode title goes in quotation marks, the show title is the container in italics, and you list contributors, the publisher, the date, and the location (the URL).
Format: Host Last, First, host. “Episode Title.” Show Title, season/episode number, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.
Smith, Jordan, host. “How Memory Works.” The Science Hour, episode 42, Acme Audio, 14 Mar. 2023, example.com/science-hour/42.
In-text: (Smith).
MLA uses title case, so capitalize the major words in both the episode and the show titles. Drop “https://” from the URL in the Works Cited entry. If you want to point to a specific moment in the in-text citation, add a timestamp range: (Smith 00:12:45-13:10). When the host and the show creator differ, you can list the host after the show title using a descriptive label such as “narrated by” or “hosted by.” Our MLA format guide covers the container model in depth, and the MLA citation generator formats the entry for you.
How to cite a podcast in Chicago (17th edition)
Chicago offers two systems. Notes and Bibliography uses footnotes and a bibliography entry, and is common in the humanities. Author-Date uses parenthetical citations and a reference list, and is common in the sciences. The podcast details are the same; only the arrangement changes.
Notes and Bibliography
Bibliography format: Host Last, First, host. “Episode Title.” Produced by Producer. Show Title. Date. Podcast, audio, duration. URL.
Smith, Jordan, host. “How Memory Works.” The Science Hour. March 14, 2023. Podcast, audio, 38:20. https://example.com/science-hour/42.
First note: 1. Jordan Smith, host, “How Memory Works,” The Science Hour, March 14, 2023, podcast, audio, 38:20, https://example.com/science-hour/42.
The first footnote gives full details with commas between elements and the host’s name in normal order. A later note for the same source is shortened: 2. Smith, “How Memory Works.” In the bibliography, the host’s name is inverted and elements are separated by periods.
Author-Date
Reference list format: Host Last, First, host. Year. “Episode Title.” Show Title. Month Day, Year. Podcast, audio, duration. URL.
Smith, Jordan, host. 2023. “How Memory Works.” The Science Hour. March 14, 2023. Podcast, audio, 38:20. https://example.com/science-hour/42.
In-text: (Smith 2023).
For deeper rules on both Chicago systems, read our Chicago style guide or generate entries with the Chicago citation generator. Students using Turabian, the student version of Chicago, can follow the same patterns.
Quick comparison of the three styles
The biggest differences come down to capitalization, the order of elements, and the in-text form:
- Episode title: italics in APA, quotation marks in MLA and Chicago.
- Capitalization: sentence case in APA, title case in MLA and Chicago.
- In-text: author and year in APA and Chicago Author-Date, author only in MLA, a footnote number in Chicago Notes-Bibliography.
- URL: full address in APA and Chicago, but no “https://” in MLA.
The principle is the same across styles: identify who made the episode, what it is called, where it lives, and when it appeared. If you understand that pattern, you can adapt it to any source. See citation styles explained for a broader overview, and review how in-text citations work if you are unsure which form to place in your sentences.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing title formats: do not italicize an episode title in MLA, and do not put the show title in quotation marks in APA.
- Wrong date order: APA uses Year, Month Day; MLA uses Day Month Year; Chicago spells out the month.
- Skipping the description: APA requires the bracketed [Audio podcast episode] label.
- Adding a retrieval date: you do not need one for a stable, published episode.
- Confusing host and guest: the author is the host or producer, not the guest. To cite something a guest said, you can treat it as an interview within the episode.
Podcasts are audiovisual media, so the same logic applies to similar sources. If your project also includes online video, our guide on how to cite a YouTube video uses a parallel structure, and our overview of how to cite sources ties the formats together.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the author of a podcast citation?
The author is the host of the episode in most cases. In APA, you add the role in parentheses, such as (Host). If you cite an entire series rather than one episode, use the executive producer as the author. The guest is not the author; if you want to cite what a guest said, attribute it to the host and episode, or treat the remarks as an interview within the show.
How do I cite a specific moment in a podcast?
Add a timestamp to your in-text citation. In APA, write the time after the year, for example (Smith, 2023, 12:45). In MLA, use a time range in the parentheses, for example (Smith 00:12:45-13:10). The reference list or Works Cited entry itself stays the same; the timestamp appears only in the in-text citation that points to that moment.
Do I need a URL if I listened in an app?
Include a URL when one is publicly available, ideally a link to the episode’s official page. If you listened in an app that has no shareable link, you can cite the platform as the publisher and give the show’s main web address. Do not invent a URL. APA and Chicago expect the full address, while MLA omits the “https://” prefix.
How do I cite a podcast with no episode title or number?
Use the details you have. If there is no episode title, you can use a short description in place of the title and still cite the show, host, date, and URL. If the show does not number its episodes, simply leave out the number. The goal is to give your reader enough information to find the exact source, so include every element that exists and omit the ones that do not.