How to Cite a Song Title

Citing a song title in an academic paper is slightly different than citing traditional print sources. Fortunately, the MLA (Modern Language Association) handbook, a style guide primarily used for academic writing and research, provides a clear way to approach new media attributions within an academic text.

Instructions

1. Type or write the artist's or band's name on your "works cited," or bibliography page, followed by a period.

2. Write or type in the name of the song in quotation marks, followed by a period (within the quotation marks).

3. Type the album title where the song can be found in italics.

4. Add the publishing company, a comma, and the year the song or album was recorded. The final song title citation entry should look like this: Artist. "Song Title." Album Name [in italics]. Publishing Company, Year Recorded.

References

• Cornell University: MLA Citation Style
• University of Richmond: MLA Documentation