IEEE Style — YouTube & Video Citations

IEEE YouTube Video Citation Generator

Cite YouTube videos, TED talks, and online lectures in IEEE numbered format. Get the reference with [Online Video] descriptor and bracket-numbered in-text citation ready to copy.

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How to cite a youtube video in IEEE

Search for the youtube video

Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.

Check the IEEE formatting fields

Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.

Copy the formatted result

Get the complete IEEE citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.

IEEE YouTube Citation Format

YouTube Video:

[#] A. B. Author/Channel, "Title of video," YouTube. Mon. Day, Year. [Online Video]. Available: URL

TED Talk (TED.com):

[#] A. B. Speaker, "Title of talk," TED. Mon. Year. [Online Video]. Available: URL

In-Text Citation:

[1], [2], [3] — numbered in order of first citation in the text

IEEE YouTube Citation Examples

YouTube Video (Channel Name as Author)

[1] Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, "The immune system explained," YouTube. Jun. 10, 2023. [Online Video]. Available: https://youtu.be/example

In-text: [1]

YouTube Video (Real Name Known)

[2] R. C. Sproul, "What is reformed theology?," YouTube. Mar. 15, 2019. [Online Video]. Available: https://youtu.be/example

In-text: [2]

TED Talk (TED.com)

[3] B. Brown, "The power of vulnerability," TED. Jun. 2010. [Online Video]. Available: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability

In-text: [3]

Educational Lecture

[4] Harvard University, "Introduction to machine learning," YouTube. Jan. 20, 2024. [Online Video]. Available: https://youtu.be/example

In-text: [4]

Examples formatted in IEEE style

IEEE Numbered Citation System for Videos

How Numbering Works

Each source gets a unique number in the order it first appears:
...as demonstrated in [1]. Later research [2] confirmed this, and the original video [1] was updated.

Multiple Citations

Cite multiple sources in one bracket:
[1], [3]
[1]–[3]
Use an en-dash for consecutive numbers: [1]–[3] means sources 1, 2, and 3.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a YouTube video in IEEE format?

Format: [1] A. B. Author/Channel, "Title of video," YouTube. Mon. Day, Year. [Online Video]. Available: URL Example: [1] Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, "The immune system explained," YouTube. Jun. 10, 2023. [Online Video]. Available: https://youtu.be/example

Do I need [Online Video] in IEEE YouTube citations?

Yes. IEEE uses medium descriptors in square brackets to indicate the format of the source. For YouTube videos and other online video content, use "[Online Video]" after the date. This tells readers the source is a video accessed via the internet, distinct from "[Online]" used for text-based web sources.

How do I cite a TED talk in IEEE format?

For a TED talk on TED.com: [1] A. B. Speaker, "Title of talk," TED. Mon. Year. [Online Video]. Available: URL For a TED talk on YouTube: [1] TED, "Speaker Name: Title of talk," YouTube. Mon. Day, Year. [Online Video]. Available: URL

What number do I use for video citations in IEEE?

In IEEE, each source is numbered in the order it first appears in your text. The first source you cite is [1], the second is [2], and so on. If you cite the same video again, reuse the same number. The reference list is ordered numerically (not alphabetically).

How do I cite a video with no author in IEEE?

If no individual author or channel name is available, start with the title of the video in quotes: [1] "Title of video," YouTube. Mon. Day, Year. [Online Video]. Available: URL. If the channel name is available but no real name, use the channel name as the author.

Is this IEEE YouTube citation generator free?

Yes, this IEEE YouTube video citation generator is completely free. Enter the video details and get a correctly formatted IEEE reference with the proper bracket-numbered in-text citation. No account required for basic use.