Skip to Main Content
Libraries Indiana University Bloomington

A Guide for Music Citation - Chicago/Turabian Style (New 18th ed)

This guide is mostly based on the 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.

Youtube

  • Youtube citations are similar to music recordings and live performances.
  • Copyrighted recordings on Youtube often appear without complete attribution information. In those cases, try to find the original recording (or ask a librarian for help).
  • If your video is associated with a Youtube channel, insert "by" then list the Youtube channel in plain/Roman type (see first example)
  • In a bibliography, begin the citation with performer or primary contributor(s). In a footnote, you can begin your citation with the title of the video rather than the performer if preferred

F: "Mahler's Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection") With the Concert Orchestra and Oratorio Chorus," recorded live April 23, 2025, posted April 30, 2025, by IU Jacobs School of Music, Youtube, https://youtu.be/SaO6X9oEKkU. 

B: Jeffery Meyer, conductor. "Mahler's Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection") With the Concert Orchestra and Oratorio Chorus." Recorded live April 23, 2025, posted April 30, 2025, by IU Jacobs School of Music. Youtube. https://youtu.be/SaO6X9oEKkU. 

Social Media

Typically, social media content only appears in footnotes. For public posts, use the method below. For private/friends-only content, treat as personal communication, found in CMoS 14.111.

General template: User (@username), "Title/Post," Social Media Platform, date, link/URL.
*Note that in title/post, you can insert up to 280 characters of a post, including emojis. Include enough words from the post that a user can identify it. You can use sentence-style capitalization.

F: The Metropolitan Opera (@MetOpera), "One of opera's most infamous cads," Facebook, July 31, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CKQZHRJoM/. 

More footnote examples:

F: The Joffrey Ballet (@thejoffreyballet), "Characters of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Try the Whisk Dance," TikTok, June 8, 2025, https://www.tiktok.com/@thejoffreyballet/video/7513650021452041503.

F: Deepa Johnny (@deepajohnny), "Little rehearsal in my dressing room before going on stage!" Instagram, July 22, 2024, https://www.instagram.com/p/C9t-d2vCuO0/.