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Music & Music Education

CITING AUDIO RECORDINGS IN CHICAGO STYLE

When citing a classical music recording you have a few options for who you credit as the author. You can choose the composer, the conductor, or (if applicable) the soloist depending on what best fits your argument.

All of these are acceptable citations for the same recording:

1. Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Lark Ascending, with Hilary Hahn (violin) and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis, Deutsche Grammophon B0003026-02, 2004, compact disc.
Vaughan Williams, Ralph. The Lark Ascending. The London Symphony Orchestra. Sir Colin Davis. With Hilary Hahn (violin). Deutsche Grammophon B0003026-02, 2004, compact disc.

2. Colin Davis, conductor, The Lark Ascending, by Ralph Vaughan Willaims, with Hilary Hahn (violin) and the London Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Grammophon B0003026-02, 2004, compact disc.
Davis, Colin, conductor. The Lark Ascending, by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The London Symphony Orchestra. With Hilary Hahn (violin). Deutsche Grammophon B0003026-02, 2004, compact disc.

3. Hilary Hahn, violinist, The Lark Ascending, by Ralph Vaughan Williams, with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis, Deutsche Grammophon B0003026-02, 2004, compact disc.
Hahn, Hilary, violinist. The Lark Ascending, by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The London Symphony Orchestra. Sir Colin Davis. Deutsche Grammophon B0003026-02, 2004, compact disc.
  • Use a specific author if they can be identified from the video or description. Otherwise use the channel name as the author.
    • For this recording below, you should cite the author as Maurice Ravel (the composer), Seong-Jin Cho (the piano soloist), or Sir Simon Rattle (the conductor) rather than Music👍 (the YouTube channel).
  • Use the short YouTube link rather than copying the URL bar. Get it by selecting “Share” under the video.
  • Include both the recording date (if available) as well as the date it was uploaded to YouTube.
  • If you need to cite a specific section of the video, change the timestamp in the note from the full length to match the time(s) you are citing
4. Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto in G major, Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, with Seong-Jin Cho (piano), November 4, 2017, video, 25:04, October 9, 2021, https://youtu.be/sNgP6NMYTqU.
Ravel, Maurice. Piano Concerto in G major. Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle. With Seong-Jin Cho (piano). Performed November 4, 2017 in Berlin. Video, 25:04. October 9, 2021. https://youtu.be/sNgP6NMYTqU.

 

Note: You should approach using examples like the above in your research with caution since Music👍 certainly doesn’t hold the copyright to the recording. A portion of this video is also posted by the Berliner Philharmoniker YouTube account (who does have the rights) and the rest is available on their website for a fee. That would be a better source.

  • Be sure to include the director and to indicate that you are citing a music video specifically.
5. Donald Glover, “This Is America,” directed by Hiro Murai, May 6, 2018, music video, 4:04, https://youtu.be/VYOjWnS4cMY.
Glover, Donald. “This Is America.” Directed by Hiro Murai. May 6, 2018. Music video, 4:04. https://youtu.be/VYOjWnS4cMY.

 

Note: Could cite the author as either Childish Gambino or Donald Glover.

  • Include Spotify in place of the format.
  • Cite individual tracks from an album in footnotes only, cite the entire album in the bibliography
6. “JU$T,” featuring Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha, Spotify, track 7 on Run the Jewels, RTJ4, BMG, 2020.
Run the Jewels. RTJ4. BMG, 2020, Spotify.