Record Store Day: STOP READING THIS, and go buy something!
It’s time to support the music you love with your wallet! Saturday, April 20th, is Record Store Day 2024, both in the U.S. and internationally. Music lovers gather in hundreds of independent record stores, celebrating recorded music with special releases, in-store performances, and much more.
Special Record Store Day releases fall into three categories.
- EXCLUSIVES: These titles are physically released only at indie record stores.
- RSD FIRST: These titles are first found at indie record stores but may eventually be released to other retailers or webstores.
- SMALL RUN/REGIONAL TITLES: These titles are either regionally based and sold at specific stores or are press runs under 1000, meaning they may be harder to find at record stores nationwide. Most of the titles on this section of the List are Small Run titles; any title that’s regionally based and most likely to be found at specific stores will have that called out in the description, which can be found on the web-based version of the List.
You can find a full list of Record Store Day 2024 releases here, and you can search for official Record Store Day locations here, like my hometown store, Vintage Vault, in Roanoke, VA.
Discogs Does Day Afters
For the first time, music collectors hub Discogs will hold an official post-Record Store Day event that allows independent retailers and music fans to purchase special releases that they may have missed on Saturday.
Beginning on Monday April 22 at 20:00 BST, Discogs will power a centralized online shopping experience dubbed Record Store Day Afters once official RSD online sales begin. This cooperative initiative will feature official RSD stores from over 13 countries, providing a platform to amplify their reach during this pivotal period for record stores.
After visiting their favorite local shop this Record Store Day, April 20, fans who couldn’t purchase their desired RSD 2024 releases in-store can buy them online directly from participating record stores. This includes exclusive titles that are only available in certain RSD regions.
“The same goal unites us—to empower record collectors and record stores—so it’s exciting to collaborate with these regional Record Store Day organizations to increase these participating stores’ visibility during one of the busiest times in the vinyl industry,” says Jeffrey Smith, Discogs’ Vice President of Marketing.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.
