Guide
How to cite a podcast with a timestamp (APA, MLA, Chicago)
Where the timestamp goes when you quote a podcast: APA (Host, 2021, 1:08), MLA (Host 11:34) and Chicago notes. Examples, plus a link readers can play.
Key findings
- APA: put the time the quote starts after the year, like (Ma & Smith, 2021, 1:08).
- MLA: put the time after the host's name, like (Chang 0:01), or a range when you paraphrase a stretch.
- Chicago: the episode's running length goes in the note; a time for a quote is added when your instructor asks for one.
- A clip link that starts and stops at the quote lets a reader hear it in one tap.
APA (7th edition)
The reference names the host, the date, the episode, and the label "[Audio podcast episode]":[1]
Ma, A., & Smith, S. V. (Hosts). (2021, December 20). Cells for sale [Audio podcast episode]. In The Indicator from Planet Money. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/12/20/1066079798/cells-for-sale
In the text, a direct quote gets the time where the quoted words begin: (Ma & Smith, 2021, 1:08).[1]
MLA (9th edition)
The works-cited entry names the host, the episode, the show, the season and episode, the publisher and the date:[2]
Gladwell, Malcolm, narrator. "The Lady Vanishes." Revisionist History, season 1, episode 1, Slate Group, 6 April 2016, revisionisthistory.com/seasons?selected=season-1.
In the text, a quote gets the time it starts, (Chang 0:01), and a paraphrase of a longer stretch gets a range, (Chang 0:01-1:12).[2]
Chicago (notes and bibliography)
A footnote names the speaker, the episode, the date, the show, the producer, the format and the running length:[3]
1. Laura Starecheski, "Goat on a Cow," September 10, 2007, in Radiolab, produced by New York Public Radio, podcast, MP3 audio, 24:47, https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/segments/91518-goat-on-a-cow.
That example follows the 17th edition. The guides we read don't agree on where a quote's time goes in a Chicago note, so if your instructor asks for one, ask where they want it.
Give readers the moment, not just the time
A timestamp tells a reader where to look. A link that plays the quote lets them hear it. With BitePods, paste the episode link, set the start a second before the quote and the end just after it, and copy the clip link. It plays only that part, in any browser, from the publisher's own file.
Put the clip link in a footnote or after the citation. Keep the episode's own URL in the reference itself, since that is what the styles ask for. If you need the show's feed for a reference, the RSS feed guide shows where to find it.
Finding the exact second
Many shows publish chapters or a transcript with times. BitePods shows both when the show provides them, so you can jump to the line you're quoting and read off its start time. See what BitePods can do for the details.
Questions
How do you cite a podcast quote with a timestamp in APA?
Put the time the quote starts after the host's name and year, like (Ma & Smith, 2021, 1:08). The reference list entry stays the same.
How do you cite a podcast timestamp in MLA?
Put the time after the host's last name, with no comma: (Chang 0:01). For a paraphrase of a longer stretch, give a range: (Chang 0:01-1:12).
Do I need a timestamp when citing a podcast?
For a direct quote in APA or MLA, yes. In Chicago it depends on your instructor. For a whole episode, no.
Can I link to the exact part of a podcast I'm quoting?
Yes. Make a clip: paste the episode into BitePods, set the start and end around the quote, and copy the link. It plays only that part.
Sources
- 1How to cite a podcast in APA, EasyBib. Read October 22, 2026.
- 2Cite sound and video in MLA, Federation University Australia Library. Read October 22, 2026.
- 3How to cite a podcast in Chicago/Turabian, EasyBib. Read October 22, 2026.
Read next
Cite this page: The BitePods team. "How to cite a podcast with a timestamp (APA, MLA, Chicago)." BitePods, October 22, 2026. https://bitepods.com/guides/cite-podcast-timestamp
Clip the exact moment, free
Paste any podcast link, mark where the clip starts and ends, and share a link that plays just that part. No account.