To cite a song (an audio recording), start with this template:


For you to learn how to reference a song in a paper first you are required to have a source in the form of a song or songs. Next, you are to visit our website for more instructions and guidelines to help you convert your source into a correct citation and works cited entry. On the website, you will find that it is easy to navigate and peruse the various tools available to help you learn more about how to quote music. Do not be left behind, all your classmates are using citation generation machines for MLA citing a song, why not you?


When you are quoting a song in an essay you have to consider from which medium the song lyrics have been sourced and what amount of information you have included in your body of text. And it is a regulation in most institutions of learning that any paper that sources information from the research, words, opinions or ideas of other authors has to have citations and corresponding reference and works cited pages. The importance of citing and referencing is outlined below;

By learning how to quote from a song and reference your papers in accordance with the stipulated styles of writing, you are playing it safe when it comes to cases of plagiarism, which is where you want to be. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. Cases of plagiarism are often viewed as a breach of trust when you fail to give credit to the originator of information that has helped you complete your research, this is the case whether it is intentional or by accident. However, other than avoiding plagiarism, songs have other important roles in academic circles.

Format of how to cite a song in MLA:

Song lyrics are known to have a deep significance in the lives of many people and as such quoting a song MLA should be a big deal. Songs are written to resonate with the actions, experiences and belief systems of its listeners. From time to time, you will find yourself looking to songs for inspiration to incorporate into your essays. Students all over the world are increasingly rushing to know how to quote a song in MLA, why is this? MLA writing style for formatting your bibliography has a standard for almost every type of information source, even songs.

“How do you cite a song in a paper?” you ask. Using songs as your primary source of information in a particular area of study, for instance in a history assignment, could enable you to learn more about how to properly quote a song and what a particular culture was doing in terms of economic and social-cultural activities from the lyrics of the songs they sang at that particular point in time. Also, you can learn more about a people’s history and development through their cultures songs. Therefore, it is an added advantage to you to learn how to quote a song in an essay as early as possible.

You can access our website for samples on how to quote song with the proper appearance of these forming styles in a body of text, and also you can find templates to assist you to format your own citations and reference/ works cited lists.

In addition to the style of writing that you choose when quoting a song, the way you cite and reference a son will be different depending on how you access the information they possess and also how much of the song’s lyrics have influenced your paper. The question you should ask yourself is, “how do you quote a song?” For instance, if you quote a song from a compact disc (CD) you had the chance to listen to; in the body of your essay, you might just refer to the song by name. Afterward, you will be expected to create works cited or reference page for the song with information pertaining to the singer and the album it is a part of. When you want to learn how to quote a song in a paper the information needed includes;


Here’s how to cite them in MLA 8, MLA 9, or any other grade.

All things considered, some of these song lyrics have very deep academic roots and pass on useful information using the song as the medium. Therefore we need to teach ourselves how to quote a song for the purpose of writing high-quality and acceptable format papers. Songs have been used by students worldwide as primary sources in their writing. By examining a song’s lyrics, you can have a deeper understanding of certain past and present events in the society.

Here’s how to cite a song in-text mla:

A song could be defined as a set of phrases or a poem that is set to a certain tune and meant to be sung. At its most basic structures, a song is referred to s a piece of music, usually with words commonly referred to as lyrics. Songs combine both vocals and a melody to create a rhythm that is able to convey their message to their listeners/ fans who in a classroom setting are required to learn how to quote songs.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to citing song lyrics in APA format:

To show the location of the quote, include (if specified in the text) or a page number (if the poem is published across multiple pages).In the Works Cited entry, include the full publication details of the source in which you found the poem (e.g.

Here is how to cite songs in Chicago style:

The format for citing a television show is similar to citing a film, but sufficiently different that it is worth providing some extra guidance. You must specify the number and title of the episode to which you are referring, of course. In addition, since television shows are serialized rather than released all at once, you should cite by date aired rather than year released.

Citation scheme for song lyrics in MLA 9:

If you want to cite a specific moment in the film, like you would cite a page number in a print source, you can do so by citing the scene, as below. This need not be done in the bibliography, where you can cite the whole film, only in the note. Use the scene title as given on the medium in which it is accessed; if scene titles are not available (such as on a VHS), you cannot cite in this fashion.