How do I reference… YouTube, TikTok and other audio-visual material in the APA7 style?
21/09/2023

Have you ever wondered how to include a reference to audio-visual material such as a video posted on YouTube or TikTok? If you have, you’re in the right place! Referencing audio-visual material is as straightforward as referencing any other type of material.
Firstly collect the key information about the material you are referencing. In the case of audio-visual material look for:
- Author
- Date
- Title
- Source (Publisher and/or URL)
Once you have these key pieces of information, go and check the guidance in the Cranfield APA7 Author-Date Referencing Guide. Audio-visual materials and images are covered on pages 36-43 of this Guide.
Use the information in the guide to construct your reference in an APA7 style, using the information that you have collected. Here are two examples:
Example 1:
Lewis, M. [@martinlewismse].(2023, September 5). Students will pay DOUBLE under the new system – major changes coming to student finance. [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@martinlewismse/video/7231175046159502619
To cite this video within your text use one of these formats:
Parenthetical citation: (Lewis, 2023)
Narrative citation: Lewis (2023).
Example 2:
Cranfield University. (2023, September 12). [Video]. YouTube. Welcome Week 2023: Looking forward to welcoming our new students.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz4Thh-N4r4
To cite this video within your text use one of these formats:
Parenthetical citation: (Cranfield University, 2023)
Narrative citation: Cranfield University (2023)
As ever, if you have any questions, get in touch.
Happy citing!
Please note: Cranfield supports two different referencing styles – APA7 (Author-date) and Numbered (NLM). Please make sure you use the style preferred by your supervisor or lecturer. The advice above relates only to the APA7 style. If you have any questions about referencing, please contact the Library.
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Using AI tools for your literature review
There are a proliferation of AI tools that can help you organise your life, work and study. This post focuses on academic or scholarly tools that have been developed to enhance the literature searching process, whether for independent research, an assignment or thesis. Bear in mind that these predominantly relate to finding journal/research papers, and not technical, business or trade sources such as standards, market research, industry reports or financial data. So ...
Finding successful past Cranfield theses
It’s always a good idea to look at examples of theses before you start work on your own. You may find them valuable for reading previous research, and for looking at structure, style and methodology. ...
On‑campus or off‑campus? How Cranfield students found their home away from home
Finding the right place to live is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as you begin your student journey. Whether you’re looking for the convenience and community of living on-campus or the independence ...
Avoiding common referencing errors
As librarians, we get to see the full spectrum of reference lists in student work —from exemplary to … well, let’s just say, works still very much in progress! We are experts in spotting mistakes ...
Using your Mendeley library after you have left Cranfield
So you have spent the whole year (or more) lovingly collecting references around the topics that matter to you and now you have a large, personalised library in Mendeley Reference Manager containing all that information. ...
Referencing the use of generative AI in your work
We recognise that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has, and will increasingly, become a part of our everyday lives and that we need to adapt to it. Hopefully you will have already seen the guidance for staff ...

Comments are closed.