How to cite a song in Chicago

Chicago style song citation

Here are two forms to cite a song depending on where you accessed it. The first one is for songs on CDs, vinyls, cassettes, etc. Variant B is for songs available on streaming platforms or online.

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the Chicago style guidelines in action:

Examples

A song by a band retrieved from a CD

Florence + the Machine. "Hunger." Track 2 on High as Hope. Virgin EMI, 2018, CD.

A song by a band retrieved from a YouTube video

Florence + the Machine. "Dog Days Are Over." Recorded July 2010 at Oxegen Festival, County Kildare, Ireland. YouTube video, 7:22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiDIObd8YaI.

Automatic citations in seconds

Alternative to