Citing Music in APA Style
For more help with APA Style, see our APA Style Quick Guide.
Published Music Score (Print)
Note: No example is given for a music score in the APA Manual (7th ed.). Cite as a book. Music scores may be republished, if this is the case add a statement after the Publisher. If it has been edited or translated, put the name of the editor or translator in parentheses, with the abbreviation, after the title.
Composer, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of score. (E. Editor, Ed.).
Publisher. (year original work published).
Verdi, G. (1992). Rigoletto. Dover. (Original work published 1851).
Music Score from an Anthology or Collected Work
Composer, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of score. In E. Editor (Ed.), Title of anthology
(xx ed., Vol. xx, pp. xxx-xxx). Publisher. (year original work published).
Monteverdi, C. (2006). L’Orfeo: Excerpt from act II. In J. P. Burkholder & C. V. Palisca (Eds.),
Norton anthology of western music (5th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 397-420). Norton.
(Original work published 1607).
Published Libretto
Note: No example is given for a libretto in the APA Manual (7th ed.).
Librettist, L. L. (Year of Publication). Title of libretto [Composed by Firstname Lastname].
Publisher.
Bottarelli, G. G. (1982). Carattaco [Composed by Johann Christian Bach].
Garland.
Sound Recording
APA has two ways to cite depending on whether it is the whole album that is cited or only one song. For classical works, list the composer as the author but for all other recordings provide the artist or group as the author.
Song
Composer. C. (Copyright Year). Title of song [Song recorded by A. Artist if different from
composer]. On Title of album. Label. (Date of recording if different from song copyright date).
Mahler, G. (2008). Andante comodo [Song recorded by Berliner Philharmoniker].
On Symphony no. 9. EMI Classics. (Original work published 1912)
Beyoncé. (2016). Formation [Song]. On Lemonade. Parkwood; Columbia.
Album
Bach, J.S. (2010). The Brandenburg Concertos: Concertos BWV 1043 & 1060 [Album recorded
by Academy of St Martin in the Fields]. Decca. (Original work published 1721)
Audiovisual
If the director is unknown give someone in a similar role and add a descriptor of the role in parentheses. Give a description of the work (ex. Film, video) after the title in square brackets.
Director, D. D. (Director). (Year). Title [Film/video]. Production Company/Studio
Luhrmann, B. (Director). (2001). Moulin Rouge [Film]. Twentieth Century Fox.
McVicar, D. (Director). (2008). Le nozze di Figaro [Film]. Opus Arte.
YouTube Video
The person or group who uploaded the video is placed in the author position. See Section 9.8 for how to present usernames..
Uploader, U. [Username if it differs from author]. (Year, Month Day of posting).
Title of video [Video]. Platform. URL
ClassicalMusicGuide. (2007, May 1). Mozart's requiem mass in d minor I: Introitus and
Kyrie [Video]. YouTube. http://youtu.be/d88xIIRDI9U