Best Record Shops in Melbourne

There's nothing quite like listening to music on vinyl. There's a reason the format has hung on after all these years, despite being bulky and expensive. You don't have to be a DJ to appreciate the experience of selecting a distinctive sleeve from a box or shelf, extracting the disc from inside and sliding it onto the player.

Record stores take that process one step further. Unlike iTunes, Spotify and other digital music sites, it takes serious time to assess the stock. Along the way you'll probably end up chatting to the staff and other customers, and maybe learn something new about your chosen scene, be it soul, folk, bluegrass or techno. Here are our favourite spots for crate digging.

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Updated on 15 November 2022

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Rocksteady Records
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Rocksteady Records
Backed by more than three decades of knowhow.
Skydiver
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Skydiver
By day, this clean-cut store sells house, techno, Italo, disco and Balearic records curated by a trio of respected Melbourne DJs. By night, it’s a cool, relaxed wine bar with a pumping beer garden.
Greville Records
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Greville Records
Supporting and importing indie music since 1978.
Vicious Sloth Collectables
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Vicious Sloth Collectables
If you’re lucky, you might bump into some rock legends while you browse.
Basement Discs
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Basement Discs
Operating below Block Place since ’94.
Profile Music
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Profile Music
Where everybody knows your name.
The Searchers Records & Books
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The Searchers Records & Books
You’ll need to make good use of the rolling ladder in this music library.
Record Paradise
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Record Paradise
The name says it all.
Licorice Pie Records
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Licorice Pie Records
Holds more than 15,000 rare and classic releases.
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Goldmine Records
Strike it rich at this inner north crate-digging institution.
Wax Museum
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Wax Museum
Underground records in an underground shop.
Northside Records
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Northside Records
Satisfying Melbourne’s soul and funk cravings since 2002.
Alley Tunes
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Alley Tunes
Come for the coffee, stay for the vinyl.
Plug Seven Records
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Plug Seven Records
Nearly 10,000 records await jazz, hip-hop, Afro and soul fans.
Vinyl Space
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Vinyl Space
There are thousands of records, but expect to find some Dylan, Bowie, Zappa and Springsteen in the mix.
Hub 301
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Hub 301
Forward-thinking house and techno records from a veteran of the scene.
Sound Merch
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Sound Merch
Browse more than 2000 records with a focus on Australian indie rock, punk and metal. Plus, band tees and tote bags, and in-store signings and performances.
Dutch Vinyl
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Dutch Vinyl
There’s nothing cheap or DIY about this refined record store.
Oh! Jean Records
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Oh! Jean Records
More than 1000 brand-new titles to browse.
Vinyl Revival
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Vinyl Revival
High-quality turntable-based sound systems and records to play on them.
Rathdowne Records
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Rathdowne Records
More than 100 crates of jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and more.
Strangeworld Records
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Strangeworld Records
Punk, post-punk, noise, metal and more.
Thornbury Records
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Thornbury Records
New alternative rock records, plus turntable repairs.
Round and Round
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Round and Round
Every single sleeve comes with its own description.
Bounce Audio
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Bounce Audio
New house and techno records, with a side of equipment hire.
Heartland Records
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Heartland Records
Metal and classic rock since 1992.
White Rabbit Record Bar
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White Rabbit Record Bar
Vinyl on the stereo, great beverages and light dining.
Happy Valley
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Happy Valley
Books, art, design and records. All the things that make us happy, in other words.
Readings Hawthorn
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Readings Hawthorn
Find the local institution’s Hawthorn outlet in a Federation-era shopfront inside an old bank. There’s a dedicated history reading nook, a mural-fronted children’s bookstore and a courtyard garden full of native plants. Plus, more than 25,000 titles to peruse.

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