To cite a song (an audio recording), start with this template:
When a song includes multiple contributors, such as a featured artist, co-writers, or collaborators, it’s important to give credit to all participants. Below are examples of how to properly cite songs with multiple contributors in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.
Properly citing a song is crucial in academic writing to give credit to original creators and avoid plagiarism. Different citation styles—such as MLA, APA, and Chicago—have specific rules for formatting, reflecting the diversity of scholarly disciplines. For example, MLA focuses on literature and the arts, while APA is common in social sciences, and Chicago offers flexibility for various fields. Accurate citations enhance the credibility of your work, allow readers to locate your sources, and acknowledge the contributions of musicians and songwriters.
I am in the process of finishing up a research paper for school that I am writing on the debate over whether or not you should listen to an album from start to finish. I am specifically doing so with respect to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. As a result, I cite song lyrics several times throughout my paper. I have been looking online for guidelines as far as how to cite these lyrics parenthetically in MLA. I have seen people suggesting (Band name), (Songwriter Line Numbers), and (Songwriter). I was wondering if someone could please enlighten me as to which of these (if any) are the correct method of doing so. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!EDIT: Also would appreciate guidance for the works cited page in addition to parenthetical! I have been searching on the internet and am confused as to whether I just cite the songwriter, songwriter and band, or just the band and how I would do so for the bibliography
Here is how to cite songs in Chicago style:
To cite song lyrics, include the following details: the lyricist/artist’s last name, year, song’s title, title of the album, medium, producer, and URL if applicable.
The song title should be enclosed in double quotation marks. If the song is part of an album, the album title should be included. Any additional contributors, the name of the record company, and the year the song was released should also be part of the works cited entry.
To cite a song or music in MLA, it is helpful to know information including the song title, contributor names, and production details. The templates and examples below are based on the MLA Handbook, 9th edition.
Cite recorded television episodes like films (see above). Begin with the episode name in quotation marks. Follow with the series name in italics. When the title of the collection of recordings is different than the original series (e.g., the show Friends is in DVD release under the title Friends: The Complete Sixth Season), list the title that would help researchers to locate the recording. Give the distributor name followed by the date of distribution.
How do I properly cite a song in the paper and in my works cited?
In an , you need to give some sort of container to indicate how you accessed the song. If this is a physical or downloaded album, the Works Cited entry should list the album name, distributor, year, and format.
How to Cite a Song | Citation Machine
However, if you listened to the song on a streaming service, you can just list the site as a container, including a URL. In this case, including the album details is optional; you may add this information if it is relevant to your discussion or if it will help the reader access the song.
How to Cite a Song in MLA | EasyBib Citations
Here, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide on how to cite a song from iTunes, in , APA formatting, and Chicago style. If the only thing keeping you from including a song in that presentation is fear of citing, fear not—the process isn’t that difficult once you get the hang of it.
How to Cite a Song in MLA, APA & Chicago Style
To make the process even easier, we’ve created examples in MLA, APA, and Chicago for Pharrell Williams’s 2014 chart-topper “Happy,” a song with an infectious beat and a warm and fuzzy message that works just as well for a psychology assignment as it does for a dance party.
MLA: how to cite a song [Update 2023]
However, if your discussion focuses on the contributions of a specific performer, e.g. a guitarist or singer, you may list them as author, even if they are not the main artist. If you’re discussing the lyrics or composition, you may cite the songwriter or composer rather than a performer.
How to cite a single song or track reference
Are you writing an essay and want to cite a song but are unsure how to do it properly? This article will show you how to cite a song in MLA style so that your article will have an appropriate format. Whether you wish to list some track, mention its composer or performer, or if you are quoting lyrics in your essay, we want you to know the correct way to do it. This article will demonstrate how to do it with helpful examples.
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