The best music shops in Sydney

Their main offering is beautifully restored audio systems from the '70s and '80s, but the vinyl (1,000-plus discs) bursts with hard-to-find original release albums, too.

Collectibles, rarities, film memorabilia and a constantly changing range of new and second-hand CDs and vinyl make this a cornucopia for the discerning music enthusiast in the Inner West. 

Fish Fine Music boasts knowledgeable staff and a huge selection of opera, stage music, experimental, jazz and classical CDs – and Fish Global is just downstairs, stocking world music, ambient and new-age music.

Lawson's hole-in-the-wall store at the bottom of Pitt Street is one of the few remaining collectors' paradises in Sydney. The record-nerd patrons often snap up the best vinyl but there are also hundreds of CDs and cult DVDs to trawl through.

Out the front is a pretty standard record store heaving with an ace selection – the team only stock what they love in soul, blues, jazz, country, garage, surf, psychedelic, folk and more – and dammit, they love what they stock. Head towards the back to the bar, an unpretentious watering hole with friendly staffers and (duh) killer tunes blaring from the speakers.

In the middle of the city lies this oasis of indie cool, an old-school record shop (remember those?) that stocks a massive selection of new releases and imports in a wide variety of genres, including a comprehensive Australian section and lots of music docos on DVD.

As well as being the go-to for local garage-indie-DIY releases, Repressed has some of the very best vinyl imports and reissues at the lowest prices. They also stock zines and t-shirts, and they host the odd in-store.

With thousands of records across an extensive range of genres, including new albums, re-releases and imports, Revolve caters to casual collectors and crate-diggers alike. It's everything you need to keep your turntable happy.

With TITLE's deliberately eclectic filing system designed to encourage chance discoveries, you're bound to find something enticing among the hand-picked selection of DVDs, books and music at both the Surry Hills flagship and the Crows Nest sister store. 

If you've got a love for the rough stuff, head over to Utopia Records. It's Sydney's best outlet for all things metal, and on top of the wide variety of CDs and LPs, they also stock books, collectibles and clothing.

The warm tones of vinyl are in the throes of a serious comeback, and if you want to start a collection or fill gaps in an existing one the Vintage Record is your port of call. Helpful staff can find any LP you want, from rock to classical to soul and even comedy.