LATEST NEWS

Record Store Day, the annual celebration of indie record store culture taking place this Saturday (April 20), is expected to deliver a £9.7m boost to indie record shops, helping secure the future of one of the key pillars of grassroots music culture. The £9.7m figure is an estimate of the sales value of the 443 exclusive releases which will be made available through indie stores on Record Store Day. This year these range from Ringo Starr’s “Crooked Boy” EP which includes four brand-new tracks, to an Olivia Rodrigo & Noah Kahan split 7” of “Stick Season” and “Lacy” from the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge to a stunning reissue of Young Father’s Mercury Award winning debut album “Dead”, limited to just 2000 copies. The analysis, prepared by digital entertainment and retail association ERA which organises Record Store UK on behalf of 270 indie retailers, does not include incremental revenue of non-Record Store Day music titles made on the day, nor money generated by food, drink and other items. The actual total through store tills is likely to be higher. In 2023 ERA estimates that exclusives sold on Record Store Day accounted for nearly 10% of annual sales of all physical music product through High Street stores. Last month ERA announced that indie store numbers have hit a 10 year high in part propelled by Record Store Day. ERA CEO Kim Bayley said, “Record Store Day is a cultural phenomenon which draws in tens of thousands of music fans across the country, but it is also a financial lifeline for a vital element of music’s unique ecosystem. Without Record Store Day, many would find it difficult to stay in business. We are grateful to the artists and labels who work so hard to create exclusive Record Store Day product and of course to the fans who turn out to support their local stores in such numbers.” Record Store Day UK coordinator Megan Page said, “Saturday is going to be quite a day. Indie stores can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. There will be live music, DJ sets, parties and performances in every corner of the country to celebrate. The important thing is people don’t forget that indie record stores are also great places to go to when it’s not Record Store Day.” This year’s Record Store Day UK ambassador, Kate Bush, said “Each year Record Store Day gathers more attention, more momentum, and attracts more people who cram into indie record stores all over the world to see what’s up. What’s new? This year, I hope you have a fantastic time at this very important event, and that you get to celebrate music that’s been specially released for you”. You can read her full statement here .

Record Store Day UK are excited to announce this year’s fundraising activities to support its Official 2024 Charity Partner, War Child. The money raised will go towards helping children in conflict all over the world, which is more important than ever before. SIGNED TURNTABLES One lucky vinyl fan could be in with the chance of winning a one-off Rega Planar 3 deck signed by RSD ambassador Kate Bush (including an exclusive test pressing of her upcoming Record Store Day 2024 release ' Eat The Music ')! What's more, a further two fans could win decks signed by rock icons Blur and 2023 Mercury Prize nominees Young Fathers. Entry is simple! Raffle tickets can be purchased from 11th April on War Child’s Crowdfunder pages for Kate Bush , Blur and Young Fathers . Each entry costs just £5, and to top it off, there's no limit on the number of times a fan can enter. Winners of each deck will be announced on Sunday 5th May 2023, perfectly timed for you to spin those Record Store Day 2024 releases!

CALLING ALL WINE AND INDIE RECORD SHOP LOVERS!

Studio by Miraval and Record Store Day are thrilled to invite you to a one-day pop-up event, "Miraval’s Mystery Vinyl – Music for your Tastebuds”!  For just £5, you could take home a brand-new vinyl record, ranging from limited editions to rare collectibles, all while enjoying a refreshing glass of Studio by Miraval Rosé.

“LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER” WILL BE RELEASED ON FRIDAY 12TH APRIL ON NEON PINK BIO-VINYL IN RECORD STORES

“EAT THE MUSIC - THE RSD EDITION” TO BE RELEASED EXCLUSIVELY FOR RECORD STORE DAY ON SATURDAY 20TH APRIL

In January we announced that Miraval are the Official Wine Partners of Record Store Day 2024. And who said the celebrations ended there? Now we’re hosting a giveaway! You could win a magnum of 'Studio' by Miraval by entering our social media competition Head to our official posts on Instagram and Facebook for the full details on how to take part. All entrants must be 18+ and reside in the United Kingdom. A full list of our terms and conditions can be found here . The competition closes on Friday 8th March...what are you waiting for?!  Good luck! 🍷✨

OLIVIA RODRIGO “STICK SEASON”/NOAH KAHAN “LACY” - FROM THE BBC RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE SCHEDULED FOR RECORD STORE DAY

THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

Behind The Counter is back, returning for a milestone fifth season on 30th January!

Save the date! Record Store Day will take place on Saturday 20th April, 2024.

The results are in! We are so excited to announce that the official winner of Record Store Day Unsigned 2023 is Currls

October is UK Black History Month and this year’s theme is, ‘Saluting our Sisters.’ For Black History Month we are celebrating the incredible artistry and pioneering work of black women in the music industry. We asked independant record shops to share with us the artists and their albums that have shaped their love of music.

Exclusives from The Doors, Sia, Alesha Dixon, Post Malone & more!

Record Store Day, National Album Day and Official Charts’ live stream series will be available to watch in full on Spotify from 20 th September

To celebrate the upcoming annual Mercury Music Prize on Sept 7th, 2023, we asked indie record shops to share who they think should be crowned ‘Album of the Year’ for 2023 and why.

Launching on August 15th August 2023, RSD Unsigned will invite emerging musicians to showcase their music by submitting a 2-minute sample of their original work to TikTok or YouTube using the #RSDUnsigned hashtag.

LGBTQIA+ stories from behind the counter in indie record shops up and down the UK. Happy Pride 2023! To celebrate, we’re bringing you LGBTQIA+ stories from behind the counter in indie record shops up and down the UK.  First up is Sharon from Reggie’s Retro, Ventnor I've been "out" my entire career, so I'm used to "being myself" as a LGBTQIA+ woman. I never thought I'd end up in my fifties owning a record shop back in my hometown of Ventnor, Isle of Wight, and it's absolutely fantastic. Ventnor is a pretty edgy and inclusive place anyway, but I've succeeded in creating a safe and fun place for myself to spend my days as well as providing a space that appeals to a very diverse customer base. I can be as camp I like for a start. Visibility is important; the shop is in the heart of the town, and I guess most people know me. For our younger customers I just think it's very cool for them to know they are welcome. I have a lot of LGBTQIA+ customers of all ages and it's important to me that they recognise me and Reggie's Retro as a strong ally. It's great to see Pride is still going strong. I did a lot of marching and protesting in the 1980s and 1990s, but we can't ever take tolerance and acceptance for granted. Some of the backlash around trans rights saddens me deeply. The movement and community and all our allies need to stand strong together. Music and artistic expression are obviously a very powerful medium for bringing people together and bringing out the best in people. That's certainly true at Reggie's!

This coming weekend, BBC Radio 6 Music will celebrate Record Store Day (Saturday 22nd April) with The Vinyl Weekender.

IN STORE PERFORMANCES, SIGNINGS, DJ SETS, GIVEAWAYS AND MORE OFFICAL BEER, TIKTOK AND AN RSD APP

Ever wondered how your Record Store Day release would look? Well wonder no more! Thanks to a collaboration with the team at Filmily, we’re excited to give you the chance to celebrate your local independent record store and become the cover star of your very own album cover. Whether you’re at home, on the commute or digging in the crates of your favourite record store it’s never been easier to give your favourite indie shop a shoutout – all you have to do is FOLLOW THIS LINK , search for your local shop, and strike a pose in three… two… one… nailed it!  The result sees you seamlessly put on the cover of your own unique sleeve complete with your name in lights and a shout out to your local independent record store. Keep an eye out for posters in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol and Liverpool featuring a QR code to take you straight to the cover shoot, too.

Rega has donated three limited edition RSD x Rega Planar 3 turntables signed by Foals, Kae Tempest and Frank Turner to be raffled via WarChild.org.uk Record Labels have created a series of RSD War Child releases including The Cure, Brian Eno, Celeste, Miles Davis, Dirty Projectors & Bjork with a £1 donation from every sale going to War Child

RECORD TOKENS LAUNCHES TREASURE HUNT FOR RECORD STORE DAY! To celebrate Record Tokens 5th birthday, we’re launching a nation-wide treasure hunt and you’re invited to join in! From April 11th, ten £25 super-size Record Tokens (just like the one below!) will hidden among the racks of ten independent record shops all across the UK. 

‘EYE OF THE NEEDLE’ WILL BE RELEASED ON FRIDAY 14TH APRIL ON PINK VINYL IN RECORD STORES/ BANDCAMP

The intimate show on 12th April will also launch Record Store Day 2023’s official beer, Meantime’s Double Groove All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Record Store Day’s charity partner, War Child Tickets on sale 9am, Monday 3rd April.

Special releases from the likes of Elton John, Taylor Swift, Pixies, Madonna and this year’s Record Store Day UK Ambassador The 1975