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Photograph: Chip Mooney

The best record stores in Melbourne

Whether you're a veteran crate digger, a mild enthusiast or a total newbie, these are the best stores for record-loving musos

Saffron Swire
Written by
Saffron Swire
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Nothing beats going analog and hearing the warm crackle and pop of spinning vinyl. In the wake of the digital music revolution, bricks-and-mortar record stores took a brutal hit, but luckily vinyl has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, with sales on the rise.

Is it of any surprise? Considering the 'TikTokification' of music and the fact everything is now downloadable, heading to a store and sifting through black-wax gems feels somewhat ritualistic. Plus, chatting to record shop owners and picking their brains is like encountering a bastion of infinite musical knowledge. Looking for something that is a blend of David Bowie, Afro-punk and folktronica? They've got just the LP.

So if you're a seasoned crate digger looking for an obscure bootleg or just want to pick up your favourite album now that it has been remastered, check out the best record stores in Melbourne. 

While we're waxing lyrical about music, why not support your local scene by hitting one of the excellent live music pubs or our picks for the best upcoming gigs.

The best record stores in Melbourne

The Searchers
  • Shopping
  • Fitzroy

This small, unassuming store in Fitzroy opened in 2008 as one of the few second-hand bookstores at the city end of Smith Street. Since then, it’s evolved to include a wide range of used records. Racks stretch from the door to the rear counter; and are helpfully divided into genres such as punk, soul and disco.

Round & Round Records
  • Shopping
  • Brunswick

It’s easy to miss Round & Round Records if you're walking on Sydney Road. Open seven days a week, the small shop is packed with custom-built wooden racks of new and second-hand vinyl spanning genres of psych, indie, punk, soul, blues, jazz, experimental, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, dance, and much more. 

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  • Shopping
  • Technology and electronics
  • Collingwood

Based in Collingwood, Skydiver is a record store that was opened in 2016 by three local DJs. Ever since, the shop has grown to stock a wide-ranging selection of new and secondhand records and tapes traversing house, techno, disco, Italo, synth-pop, new beat, new wave, cosmic, ambient and more. They also stock lots of local, interstate & imported labels and host regular in-store events. Skydiver Records also has a back courtyard which serves up pizza and operates as a wine bar at night. Wine, pizza and records? La dolce vita.

Heartland Records
  • Shopping
  • North Melbourne

There’s a selection of CDs here, but vinyl is the main focus. Shoppers can pick up anything from a reissued Nirvana LP to the back catalogue of Alice Cooper, Anthrax or Iron Maiden; but dig hard enough, and you’ll find some indie rock and classic titles by artists like Arcade Fire, Weezer and Arctic Monkeys.

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Northside Records
  • Shopping
  • Fitzroy

Run by the patron saint of soul, Triple R's Chris Gill, Northside has long been a favourite within local music circles and DJs.  Whether you’re after a straight soul groove or some jazzed-up reggae blues, these guys have their finger on the vinyl pulse of all things funk through to hip-hop.

Rathdowne Records
  • Shopping
  • Northcote

Stocking over 18,000 records, this Northcote-based store has hundreds of crates full of jazz, funk, hip hop, techno and global sounds from Japanese to Euro grooves. 

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  • Shopping
  • Melbourne

Having worked in record stores since the late ’80s, Rocksteady Record’s proud owner Pat Monaghan is a laidback, thoughtful and knowledgeable muso. The store stocks mostly vinyl (new and second hand) and turntables. Monaghan promises that his black-wax baby will focus on local talent, including bands not signed as well as big distributors and reggae (it is called rocksteady records, after all), funk, soul, rock, jazz, hip hop, indie and new wave. 

 “A real driver for me was that when I was growing up, you could go to the city and do a tour of the CBD’s record stores,” he says. “I wanted to bring back more of a circuit – so now there’ll be Missing Link, Collectors Corner, Wax Museum Records, Off the Hip, Basement Discs and you can finish up at Rocksteady Records”.

Licorice Pie
  • Shopping
  • Collingwood

One of the more consistent and reliable vinyl sources in town. Over 10,000 records are crammed into the store’s confines, which makes for a cornucopia of genres. We’re talking rock, pop, psych, prog rock, metal, funk, soul, Krautrock… the beat goes on.

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Greville Records
  • Shopping
  • Prahran

Specialising in more traditional forms of rock, Greville Records is the to start if hunting for ultra-limited releases of Kinks and b-sides. Easily Southside's best record store, owner Warwick Brown also stocks an enviable array of books, tour posters and hard-to-come-by paraphernalia.

Wax Museum Records
  • Shopping
  • Melbourne

A Melbourne institution for 17 years, Wax Museum Records has become a pillar of the local community for being at the forefront of music trends from jazz and soul through to hip-hop, beats and club culture. Stocking a wide range of new and lost treasures, expect to find some of Melbourne's most infamous music figures behind the counter. 

See the good stuff live

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