How to Properly Cite a Podcast (with Examples) and Avoid Plagiarism Issues

Helpful Summary

Overview:

We at Cleanvoice offer a comprehensive guide on the correct citation of podcasts, detailing various styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard.

Why you can trust us:

With our advanced AI podcast transcription software, Cleanvoice has helped clients accurately transcribe and cite podcasts, leading to precise documentation and easier reference.

Why this is important:

Correctly citing podcasts is essential for acknowledging the creators' work, providing context for listeners, facilitating further research, and respecting intellectual property rights.

Action Points:

Take advantage of our AI podcast transcription software to simplify the podcast citation process. Make sure to follow our structured guides for each citation style to ensure your references are precise and compliant with academic and professional standards.

Further Research:

Explore tools like Zotero, Cite This For Me, and Opendemia to manage and automate citations, and consider integrating these with Cleanvoice's transcription capabilities for a seamless content creation workflow.

Need Help Citing a Podcast?

Podcasts are an invaluable source of information, entertainment, and inspiration. Just like any other source, when you reference a podcast in your writing, it's essential to give credit where credit is due.

Properly citing podcasts can be tricky, but it's vital for backing up your arguments and showing respect to creators.

At Cleanvoice, we specialize in transforming audio content into written form with our advanced AI podcast transcription software.

Using our podcasting expertise, we wrote this step-by-step guide on how to cite podcasts correctly, no matter which citation style you need.

We’ll also provide you with a list of tools to make podcast citation much easier.

Why Listen To Us?

At Cleanvoice, we've helped over 15,000 podcasters transform their audio into text with great accuracy. Our AI-driven transcription podcast software is robust, supporting over 60 languages, and capable of generating accurate podcast transcripts in just a few clicks.

Our users benefit from this efficiency, making it easier to cite podcasts correctly by quickly referencing the exact details needed for their citations.

What is Podcast Citation?

Podcast citation involves referencing podcast episodes in your work or studies to acknowledge their intellectual property and contributions to your research or content.

It typically includes the episode title, podcast name, hosts' names, the publishing organization or platform, episode release date, and URL or DOI if available.

The exact format can vary depending on the citation style you're following (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), but the goal remains the same: to provide clear, concise information that allows your readers to find and verify your source material easily.

Different Types of Citation Styles

There are several types of citation styles, each with its own set of rules for formatting references. Here are some of the most commonly used ones:

  • APA (American Psychological Association): Predominantly used in the social sciences, the APA style focuses on the author-date format for in-text citations and a comprehensive reference list at the document's end.
  • MLA (Modern Language Association): This style is popular in the humanities, especially in literature and language studies. It emphasizes the use of parenthetical citations within the text and is accompanied by a Works Cited page.
  • Chicago Manual of Style: Offers two main approaches – the Notes-Bibliography system, preferred in literature, history, and the arts, for its detailed footnotes or endnotes accompanied by a bibliography; and the Author-Date system, used in the physical, natural, and social sciences.
  • Harvard: An author-date citation style used widely across a variety of disciplines. It involves in-text citations and a reference list at the document’s end.

Why Is Podcast Citation Important?

Acknowledge the Source

Citing podcasts gives proper credit to the creators and contributors for their ideas and work, just like citing books, articles, or other forms of media.

It acknowledges their contributions and dispels potential concerns surrounding plagiarism.

Offer Context

Citations offer context to your audience. By knowing the source, listeners or readers can understand the perspective, background, and potential biases of the information. It also helps them to gauge the relevance and timeliness of the cited material.

Facilitate Further Research

Citing podcasts can guide interested readers toward additional valuable resources. It aids in academic discourse and research by creating a trail of sources that others can follow to gain more comprehensive insights.

If you have your own podcast, a great way to make your episodes more visible is by transcribing them. That way, more people can find your work and join in on the conversation.

To create podcast transcripts, Cleanvoice is the ideal solution. Our AI podcast transcription software can generate accurate transcripts from your podcast or audio recording in just a few clicks. Plus, Cleanvoice supports podcast transcription for over 60 languages.

We facilitate accurate quoting and transcribing of podcasts, making it easier to locate relevant segments and save time finding specific information. Plus, by posting the transcript, you can target various SEO keywords.

Respecting Intellectual Property

Podcasts are bigger than you think. They’re creative works that involve significant effort from writers, speakers, and producers. Citing them is a way to show respect and uphold intellectual property rights, recognizing the creators' contributions and efforts.

How to Cite a Podcast in APA

To cite a podcast in APA style, format your citations to ensure they offer an explicit finder's path for your readers back to the podcast source.

The general structure of Chicago style:

Host(s). (Year, Month Day). Episode title (No. episode number) [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast Title. Production Company. URL

  • For example: If you're citing an episode from a podcast titled "The Science of Happiness" hosted by John Doe from April 4, 2021:

Doe, J. (2021, April 4). Finding joy in the little things (No. 12) [Audio podcast episode]. In The Science of Happiness. ABC Podcasts. https://www.abcpodcasts.com/scienceofhappiness/episode12

For in-text citations:

Just include the host’s name and the publication date in parentheses.

  • For example: (Doe, 2021).

If you're directly quoting from a podcast, make sure also to include the timestamp in your in-text citation, e.g. (Doe, 2021, 12:34).

How to Cite a Podcast in MLA 9

Citing a podcast in MLA 9 is quite similar to APA, with just slight variations when it comes to formatting.

Here’s a general structure of MLA9

Host's Last Name, First Name, host. "Episode Title." Podcast Series Title, episode No. #, Production Company, Day Month Year, URL.

  • Also, it’s important to remember that when including the URL, omit http:// or https://.
  • For example:

Smith, John, host. "The Wonders of Space Exploration." Stellar Journeys, episode No. 24, Moonbeam Productions, 5 Aug. 2022, www.example.com/stellarjourneys/spaceexploration.

For in-text citations:

You’ll only need the last name of the host and the timestamp where the referenced information can be found.

  • Example: (Smith, 15:32)

How to Cite a Podcast in Chicago Style

Citing a podcast in Chicago style is a bit different from MLA but equally straightforward once you know the requirements.

Chicago style focuses on either the author-date system or the notes and bibliography system. For podcasts, the notes and bibliography system is more commonly used.

General structure of Chicago style:

First Name Last Name, "Episode Name," episode No. #, Podcast Title, podcast, MP3 audio, Running time, URL.

  • For example:

Alex Johnson, "Unraveling Quantum Computing," episode No. 30, Tech Innovations Unleashed, podcast, MP3 audio, 28:35, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/podcasts/tech-innovations-unleashed/unraveling-quantum-computing.html.

Keep in mind that when you first reference the podcast in a footnote, you should provide full information. For subsequent references, a shortened note is sufficient.

  • Shortened note for subsequent references:

Johnson, "Unraveling Quantum Computing."

How to Cite a Podcast in Harvard Style

Citing a podcast in Harvard style requires a slightly different approach that focuses on the author's surname and the year of publication.

General structure of Harvard style:

Host’s Last Name, Initial(s). (Year of Publication) 'Title of the podcast episode.' Podcast Title, episode No. #. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).

  • Example:

Johnson, A. (2021) 'Unraveling Quantum Computing.' Tech Innovations Unleashed, episode No. 45. Available at: www.example.com/techinnovations/quantumcomputing (Accessed: 25 October 2023).

In-text citation:

(Author Surname, Year Published)

  • Example: (Johnson, 2021)

Best Podcast Citation Tools

  1. Zotero
  2. Cite This For Me
  3. Opendemia

1. Zotero

Zotero is great for managing and citing research materials across many styles including Chicago.

It allows you to collect, organize, annotate, and share research, and it can create citations and bibliographies directly in word processors like Word and Google Docs.

It's particularly useful for academic and in-depth research projects​​.

2. Cite This For Me

Cite This For Me supports a variety of citation styles including APA, MLA, and Chicago, and allows for easy search and citation of your resources.

It offers a free version for basic citation needs and a premium version with additional features like plagiarism checks and unlimited grammar checks​.

3. Opendemia

Opendemia goes beyond citation generation: it gives you the ability to take notes, organize them, and store citations for long-term projects.

It supports collaborative work and lets you access your citations and notes across devices, which is useful for extensive research projects​.

Wrapping Up

Citing podcasts correctly is an essential part of creating content that is both responsible and informative. Whether you're a student, researcher, or content creator, the ability to reference podcast content appropriately demonstrates your dedication to accuracy and intellectual rigor.

If you find yourself regularly needing to cite podcasts, consider using transcription as a tool to capture precise details from your audio sources. Cleanvoice will assist you by providing accurate, AI-generated transcripts that will help you find the exact point you're referencing along with a timestamp.

Our tool simplifies your workflow, allowing you to focus on the quality of your work while we handle the details of transcription. Try Cleanvoice for free today!