Record Store Day will take place on Saturday 22nd April 2023.
Record Store Day is the one day of the year when over 260 independent record shops all across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. Thousands more shops celebrate the day around the globe in what’s become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar.
The event was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners, as employees wanted a way to celebrate and spread the word about nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today there are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica.
This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities.
While there’s only one Record Store Day a year, the organisation works with both independent and major labels throughout the year to create contests, special releases and promotions in order to spotlight the benefits of supporting these independent, locally owned stores with music purchases throughout the year. In 2010, Record Store Day coordinated its first RSD Black Friday event, which gives record stores exclusive releases as part of the attempt to redirect the focus of the biggest shopping day of the year to the desirable, special things to be found at local stores.
FAQs
How do I get a particular release?
Record Store Day releases are only available, in-store, through Record Store Day Shops from the date of Record Store Day. You can search for shops near to you on this site but are advised to contact the store directly to ascertain whether they will be carrying the release you are looking for in advance. Stores are not permitted to reserve a product for customers so you will need to visit the store early on Record Store Day to get the release you're after!
Can I pre-order / reserve Record Store Day products?
Stores are bound by the Record Store Day code of conduct which prohibits them from reserving the product for customers or allowing customers to pre-order products. Record Store Day is about the occasion and visiting the store is part of the enjoyment so our best advice is to get up early and check with stores in advance that they have your product.
Can I buy Record Store day products online?
Only Record Store Day shops may purchase Record Store Day product legitimately and stores are bound by the Record Store Day code of conduct which prohibits them from selling online in advance of Record Store Day or for the Monday following Record Store Day.
Any remaining products will be available from participating store websites at 8pm on Monday 24th April.
How can I get Record Store Day products if I live outside the UK?
Many countries celebrate Record Store Day so check on recordstoreday.com to find out. If it is a product only available in the UK, the product is listed online the Monday after Record Store Day at 8pm so check back with the UK stores then.
The store has sold out of the product I wanted
The Record Store Day exclusive releases are available in limited quantities on a first-come first-served basis. We know some customers will be disappointed that their favourite product may have sold out but unfortunately, that is the result of their "exclusivity". Queue up earlier is the only answer I'm afraid. We can check with our other stores if they still have stock.
The store did not stock the release I wanted
Not all stores carry every release. Indeed with over 400 releases for Record Store Day, it is almost impossible for a shop to carry every title. That is why we advise customers to contact the store before the day to find out what they are stocking.
The product I want is listed on eBay at a high price
Unfortunately, the nature of the exclusive releases means that some unscrupulous ebayers list the product at inflated prices online. Those who list the product before the event do so in the hope they will secure it on the day but they cannot guarantee this. This is the downside of the value in having a Record Store Day release.
We investigate all eBay listings and send takedown notices to sellers of RSD product in advance of the day. Sometimes these takedowns are appealed or can take a couple of days to take effect
All Official Record Store Day sellers adhere to a strict code of conduct which prohibits selling online for 1 week following RSD – if any shop is found to be in breach of this code they can be banned from participating in future Record Store Days so the ebay sellers are unlikely to be shops or be able to guarantee delivery of the product
Sadly we find this kind of behaviour as frustrating as you and can only apologise that such people try to use RSD to make a quick buck. We can only apologise that there are people out there who want to profiteer from the event but we work hard with stores to try wherever possible to restrict known culprits from buying our products. Our research also tells us that more than 95% of all product makes its way into legitimate fans hands and is not sold via eBay.
We advise all customers not to give in to the temptation to buy from these sellers as often the product they are seeking can often be found after the event – we advise contacting stores after the event to see what is still available
We hope you still enjoy the RSD celebrations taking place at your local shop.
I have a disability and would still like to take part in RSD
We are aware that some of our customers have disabilities and participating in Record Store Day can be more challenging. We take our responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 seriously in terms of not discriminating against those with disabilities. Please take a look at our disability guide for more information.
CONTACT US
Press Enquiries: megan@eraltd.org (or phone 020 8194 4778)
Store Sign up: beth@eraltd.org (or phone 020 8194 4777)
Label Product Submissions: RSDsubmissions@eraltd.org
Digital Enquiries: emily@eraltd.org (or phone 020 8194 4779)
Customer Enquiries: admin@eraltd.org
RSD Global Coordinator:
Carrie Colliton - carrie@recordstoreday.com
Record Store Day UK address:
42-43 Maiden Lane
[4th Floor]
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 7LL