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

To cite a podcast, you need the host's name, episode title, podcast name, production company, date, and URL. The exact format depends on your citation style and whether you're citing a single episode or a full series. APA, MLA, and Chicago each handle podcasts differently -- and the rules are relatively new additions to each style guide.

What Counts as a Citable Podcast?

Before formatting your citation, consider whether a podcast is an appropriate source for your paper. Podcasts are generally acceptable when:

• The host or guest is a recognized expert in the relevant field
• The podcast is produced by a reputable organization (NPR, BBC, a university, a professional association)
• You're citing a specific claim, data point, or argument made in the episode
• The episode is publicly accessible so your reader can verify the source

Podcasts are less appropriate as primary sources for empirical claims. If a researcher discusses their findings on a podcast, try to locate and cite the original study instead. Use the podcast citation when the podcast itself is your object of analysis or when the discussion adds context that isn't available elsewhere.

APA 7th Edition

APA's podcast citation rules were updated in their 7th edition. The key distinction is between a single episode and a full series.

Single Episode

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (No. episode number) Audio podcast episode. In Title of Podcast. Production Company. https://url

Example:

Klein, E. (Host). (2025, February 18). How AI is reshaping scientific research (No. 412) Audio podcast episode. In The Ezra Klein Show. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast

Full Series

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year--present). Title of podcast Audio podcast. Production Company. https://url

Example:

Gladwell, M. (Host). (2016--present). Revisionist History Audio podcast. Pushkin Industries. https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history

Interview or Guest Episode

When you're citing a specific guest's contribution rather than the host's, the guest isn't typically the author in APA. The host remains the author, and you reference the guest in the text of your paper:

In an interview on The Ezra Klein Show, Dr. Sarah Chen argued that... (Klein, 2025, 14:32).

If the guest is the primary reason you're citing the episode, you can note the timestamp for the relevant segment. APA doesn't have a formal timestamp rule for podcasts, but including one helps your reader locate the information.

Video Podcast

If you watched a video version of a podcast (on YouTube, for example), change the bracketed description:

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (No. episode number) Video podcast episode. In Title of Podcast. Production Company. https://url

MLA 9th Edition

MLA treats podcasts as containers, following its core elements framework.

Single Episode

"Title of Episode." Title of Podcast, hosted by First Last, season number, episode number, Production Company, Day Month Year. Platform, URL.

Example:

"How AI Is Reshaping Scientific Research." The Ezra Klein Show, hosted by Ezra Klein, episode 412, The New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025. Apple Podcasts, https://podcasts.apple.com/the-ezra-klein-show/412.

Full Series

Title of Podcast. Hosted by First Last, Production Company, Year--present. Platform, URL.

Example:

Revisionist History. Hosted by Malcolm Gladwell, Pushkin Industries, 2016--present. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/show/revisionist-history.

Interview or Guest Episode

When the guest is the focus, MLA lets you lead with the guest as the author if the episode is essentially an interview:

Last, First, interviewee. "Episode Title." Title of Podcast, hosted by First Last, episode number, Production Company, Day Month Year. Platform, URL.

Example:

Chen, Sarah, interviewee. "How AI Is Reshaping Scientific Research." The Ezra Klein Show, hosted by Ezra Klein, episode 412, The New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025. Apple Podcasts, https://podcasts.apple.com/the-ezra-klein-show/412.

Video Podcast

MLA doesn't distinguish between audio and video podcasts in format. If you accessed the video version, include the video platform (YouTube, etc.) as the platform instead of Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Chicago 17th Edition

Notes-Bibliography: Single Episode

Footnote:

1. Ezra Klein, host, "How AI Is Reshaping Scientific Research," episode 412, The Ezra Klein Show, produced by The New York Times, February 18, 2025, audio podcast, https://www.nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast.

Bibliography:

Klein, Ezra, host. "How AI Is Reshaping Scientific Research." Episode 412. The Ezra Klein Show. Produced by The New York Times. February 18, 2025. Audio podcast. https://www.nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast.

Notes-Bibliography: Full Series

Footnote:

1. Malcolm Gladwell, host, Revisionist History, produced by Pushkin Industries, 2016--, audio podcast, https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history.

Bibliography:

Gladwell, Malcolm, host. Revisionist History. Produced by Pushkin Industries. 2016--. Audio podcast. https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history.

Author-Date: Single Episode

In-text:

(Klein 2025)

Reference list:

Klein, Ezra, host. 2025. "How AI Is Reshaping Scientific Research." Episode 412. The Ezra Klein Show. Produced by The New York Times. February 18, 2025. Audio podcast. https://www.nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast.

Interview or Guest Episode

Chicago gives you flexibility. If the guest is the focus of your citation, you can list them first:

Footnote:

1. Sarah Chen, interview by Ezra Klein, "How AI Is Reshaping Scientific Research," episode 412, The Ezra Klein Show, February 18, 2025, audio podcast, https://www.nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast.

Timestamps in Podcast Citations

None of the major style guides have formal rules for podcast timestamps, but they're increasingly expected -- especially for long episodes. The practical convention:

APA: Include the timestamp in the in-text citation, similar to page numbers:

(Klein, 2025, 14:32)

MLA: Include the timestamp in your in-text citation:

(Klein, 00:14:32)

Chicago: Include the timestamp in the footnote after the URL:

..., https://www.nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, at 14:32.

Timestamps aren't required by any style, but they're good academic practice. They help your reader verify your claim without listening to an entire hour-long episode.

Common Mistakes

Listing the guest as the author when the host is the author. In APA, the host is always the author of a podcast episode, even for interview episodes. MLA and Chicago offer more flexibility, but only when the guest is genuinely the focus. If you're citing the episode in general, the host is the author.

Omitting the production company. The production company (Pushkin Industries, NPR, Gimlet Media, etc.) functions like a publisher. All three major styles include it.

Using the wrong date. Cite the date the specific episode was published, not the date you listened to it. For a full series, use the date range (2016--present).

Confusing the podcast name with the episode title. The podcast name (The Ezra Klein Show) is italicized. The episode title ("How AI Is Reshaping Scientific Research") goes in quotation marks. This applies to all three styles.

Not specifying audio vs. video. APA requires you to specify Audio podcast episode or Video podcast episode. If you watched it on YouTube, use the video designation.

Citing a podcast episode you can't link to. If the episode is behind a paywall (Patreon, subscriber-only feeds), note this in your citation. Your reader may not be able to access it, similar to citing personal communication in other styles. Provide as much identifying information as possible.

Style Comparison

For a broader comparison of how APA, MLA, and Chicago differ across all source types, see our style comparison guide.

Try It with CiteTools

Podcast citations involve a lot of small details -- host roles, production companies, episode numbers, timestamps, platform URLs. Getting all of these right across different styles is tedious manual work. Paste your podcast URL or episode details into CiteTools.io and get a properly formatted citation in APA, MLA, Chicago, or any other style. We handle single episodes, full series, and interview formats so you can focus on your argument, not your bibliography.