Song Citation Generator
Cite a song, single, or album — whether you streamed it on Spotify or Apple Music or played it from a CD — in seconds. Enter the artist, song title, album, record label, and year and get a complete, formatted reference. Works with APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and 10,832 styles. Free, no sign-up.
Language
Song Citation Examples
APA 7th editionReference list
Swift, T. (2019). Lover [Song]. On Lover. Republic.
In-text: (Swift, 2019)
MLA 9th editionWorks Cited
Swift, Taylor. "Lover." Lover, Republic Records, 2019.
In-text: (Swift)
Chicago (author-date)Reference list
Swift, Taylor. 2019. "Lover." Track 3 on Lover. Republic Records.
In-text: (Swift 2019)
How to Cite a Song
- 1. Gather the details. Note the artist (or composer), the song title, the album it appears on, the record label, and the release year — and the URL if your instructor wants the streaming link.
- 2. Enter them & pick a style. The generator above opens on the Song / Music source type — fill the fields in and choose APA, MLA, Chicago, or any of the 10,832 styles.
- 3. Cite. We build a full reference with the artist, song title, album, and label in the right place for your style — including the [Song] descriptor in APA. Edit any field, then copy or export it to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I generate a citation for a song?
- The generator above opens on the Song / Music source type. Enter the artist or composer as the author, the song title, the album it appears on, the record label, and the year. Pick your citation style and click Generate Citation. CitationEasy formats the reference and you can edit any field before copying or exporting it.
- How do I cite a song in APA 7th edition?
- An APA 7th song reference is: Artist. (Year). Title of song [Song]. On Title of album. Label. For example: Swift, T. (2019). Lover [Song]. On Lover. Republic. Use the recording artist as the author and add the [Song] description in square brackets after the title.
- How do I cite a song in MLA vs Chicago?
- MLA 9th: Artist Last, First. "Song Title." Album, Label, Year. Chicago: Artist Last, First. Year. "Song Title." Track on Album. Label. Pick the style above and the generator applies the correct format, including the quotation marks around the song title and italics on the album.
- Should the artist or the songwriter be the author?
- APA uses the recording artist (the performer) as the author and, when the songwriter differs, you can note the writer in the text. MLA lists whichever contributor you are emphasizing — usually the performer for a recording, or the composer if your paper focuses on the writing. Enter the name you want as the author in the form and the generator inverts it correctly for the style.
- How do I cite a song I streamed on Spotify or Apple Music?
- Cite the recording itself — artist, song title, album, label, and year — exactly as you would a CD; the streaming service is not the publisher. APA does not require the streaming URL for a widely available recording, but you can add it in the URL field if your instructor wants it. The label and year come from the track's album credits, which Spotify and Apple Music both display.
- Which citation styles does the song generator support?
- All 10,832 styles in our library, including APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, Vancouver, and AMA. Choose your style before or after entering the details and the reference reformats instantly.
- Is the song citation generator free?
- Yes. It is 100% free with no sign-up, no ads, and no limits. Your citations are saved locally in your browser and can be exported to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.