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Yes, people still buy records.

While the format has felt like an afterthought to many after cassettes, compact discs, digital downloads and streaming became the norm, there are still a lot of records being sold each year.

According to a that looked at data tracked by Luminate, vinyl album sales made up 47.1% of all album sales in the U.S. in 2023. 57% of physical albums sold were on vinyl, and the format outsold CDs and digital downloads. The total number of units sold was 49.61 million. Streaming is now the preferred format, but nearly 50 million records is a lot, and that doesn't include the used records that weren't captured in the data.

Big box retailers like Walmart and Target have started stocking shelves again and of course Amazon is a dominant force in online sales. But there are still many independent record stores, and each year vinyl enthusiasts celebrate the format through Record Store Day. According to the website:

"Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently-owned record stores in the U.S. and thousands of similar stores internationally. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today, Record Store Day is celebrated at independently-owned brick-and-mortar record stores around the world."

Besides being a working journalist, I'm also a record collector and have attended every Record Store Day with the exception of the first one in 2008. Keep reading for more information on Record Store Day as well as some of my tips based on experience.

When is Record Store Day Black Friday?

As the name implies, Record Store Day Black Friday will be held the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29, 2024. According to the : "Independently-owned stores, especially record stores, are fantastic places to shop for gifts, and we see our RSD Black Friday efforts to promote brick-and-mortar indie record stores in the face of a shopping frenzy as part of our year-round mission to bring them into the spotlight. RSD Black Friday subverts the model slightly and focuses on pieces of art in the form of limited special editions, with hopefully something for everyone."

However, the folks behind the Black Friday event make clear in the FAQ tht this event is not Record Store Day II: "RSD Black Friday isn’t a stand-alone “holiday”. April’s big event, Record Store Day, generally means an all-day party celebrating the record store, in addition to the special titles released on the Day.  That’s not necessarily the case with RSD Black Friday."

When is Record Store Day 2025?

Record Store Day will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2025. The event is typically held on the third Saturday in April, but has shifted periodically due to Easter. And the COVID-19 pandemic force the creation of Record Store Day drops over several dates in 2020 and 2021 due to social distancing concerns and production delays. Each independent record store determines the time it will open to the public.

Where can I find a list of special releases for Record Store Day Black Friday 2024?

The this year's releases in the United States. You can also find additional details on the website.

How much do Record Store Day releases cost?

Prices vary on each release and can vary slightly at each store as shops are given latitude in pricing. As someone who purchases new records regularly, I find the prices to be largely in the ballpark of standard releases. A release that is out of the ordinary or has special packaging might cost more. Like everything else, prices have crept up with inflation. Many shops will have the listings for the titles they will carry online where you can check prices. You can also contact your store for more information.

What types of releases are available for Record Store day?

There will be 7", 10" and 12" records of singles, EPs (extended plays) and full-length albums. Some CDs will be available. There are sometimes cassettes, although none appear to be included this year. There are also sometimes additional products like mini turntables for the novelty 3" format. For 2024, , carrying case and singles from The Beatles.

I really want a specific record. How will I know if my record store will have it in stock?

Each year there are hundreds of releases and stores will try and order enough stock based on what they believe they can sell. Stores are stuck with unsold stock, so ordering can be tricky as well as expensive. The best thing to do is to contact your local record store and ask if they will carry a certain title. It's possible they won't know if they will receive it until a few days before as shipping can be very last-minute. (I was on line at Guestroom Records in Louisville, Kentucky, and staff were still unloading boxes from cars to quickly price due to a shipping delay one year.) Two pieces of advice: Contact your shop by stopping in, calling or dropping an email a few days in advance to see if they will have the records you want and if they know the quantity they'll have available. Contact your shop as early as possible with your wish list of records you're looking for. It will help them when making an order.

Some independent record stores are very small and can't afford to carry many titles. Larger stores will often try and carry at least one of most everything, as well as order multiple copies of the titles they anticipate will be in high demand. If you're looking for Pearl Jam's "Dark Matter," which has 15,000 copies available in the U.S., it should be relatively easy to find. If you're a fan of Alex Chilton and want "Cliches," only 900 copies are expected and that one might be tougher to find. Also, some stores specialize in certain genres. So a shop known for heavy metal might not order a lot of jazz. A jazz shop might not have as much country. Shops know the tastes of their customers and will order accordingly. 

Can I buy Record Store Day titles online?

This is probably the most common question I see and it comes for a variety of reasons. Some people have to work or have other plans. Other folks don't have a local shop. And of course there are plenty of people that just prefer to shop online. So in short, yes you can buy online but buyer be warned: You might overpay or be late to the party. Record stores are not permitted to sell special releases online on Record Stores Day, but are permitted to sell any unsold stock starting the next day if they want and have an online marketplace. I've purchased plenty of records I couldn't find this way, but the most popular titles might be hard to find.

There will also be plenty of flippers out there. These are folks that line up, buy records and then immediately list them with huge markups on online marketplaces like and . Bidding can also get out of control of eBay auctions. A $25 record can quickly go for $100 on the aftermarket. My best advice is don't let FOMO — the fear of missing out — get the best of you. If you watch prices over time, you'll find after the immediate hysteria of the day, prices come back down. I've purchased many Record Store Day titles months and even years later, often at list price and in some cases even cheaper. That's not always the case, however, and certain popular titles can go for hundreds of dollars. If you really want a specific title and don't want to overpay, my best advice is to line up early.

Can I preorder a Record Store Day release? Will the store hold a title for me?

No and no. The event is meant to get folks into stores, hopefully browsing and buying additional titles. Preorders and holds are not allowed.

Are there limits to what I can buy on Record Store Day? Can I buy multiple copies of a special release?

Most stores will allow you to purchase only one copy of a specific title, but as many titles as you'd like. I tend to be someone that finds roughly a dozen titles of interest, and I've seen plenty of people walk away with more than that. But purchasing two copies of the same album is typically not permitted that day. If stock remains after Record Store Day, stores will typically allow you to purchase additional copies to clear out unsold stock. 

So what time should I arrive for Record Store Day?

This is a tough question to answer as there are many factors. I've attended events in communities of different sizes. Lining up three hours before doors open for a large shop in a large city might mean being 50th in line compared to being only third in a small town. There will almost always be folks that will start lining up the night before and plenty more will show up minutes before doors open. My best advice is to try and find out from locals that attend what a good time to arrive would be, but if a specific release is very important to you, be prepared to line up early.

Do record stores do anything else special for Record Store Day?

Yes! This is where lining up early can be fun. Some shops plan live music. Many will hold back rarer used titles to put out for Record Store Day to give shoppers an extra incentive to shop beyond the RSD titles. Some shops will hand out doughnuts and coffee to people in line. I've also gotten mimosas and beer while waiting or shopping. It's a party, afterall!

What is it like to shop during Record Store Day?

Each store does things a bit differently. I've attended RSD at three different shops over the years. At the now-closed Exclusive Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the doors would open and everyone would file in and do their best to grab titles from the wall or in the flip bins. It was a bit chaotic.

When I shopped at Guestroom Records in Louisville, Kentucky, they would let five people in at a time, the releases would be in alphabetical order on the wall and you'd pretty much move through A to Z to take what you'd like. As people started checking out, they'd let more in and limit the total number of shoppers in the store.

At Strictly Discs in Madison, Wisconsin, they shifted to a menu system during the pandemic which has since remained, which has been my favorite way. You line up, they hand you a menu, you make your selections, they pull whatever is available in the order you were standing in line, and then they hand you a stack at checkout. Once the line gets smaller, they open the shop to regular shopping.

What are your recommendations for Record Store Day 2024?

I hate offering recommendations since musical tastes are so personal. Review the list and pursue what you like. But for me, if you have to know, I'm interested in the releases from U2, Pearl Jam, Ramones and The Doors. Yes, I'm all over the place, and that's what makes music fun.

Does Taylor Swift have a release for Record Store Day Black Friday?

At the moment, no, but it's always possible a title could be added late. Swift did release "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions" for Record Store Day 2023 with roughly 75,000 copies available in the U.S., an incredibly large quantity for RSD.

What is the difference between RSD exclusive, RSD first and RSD limited run/regional focus?

There are three types of releases and this can help you prioritize what to pursue, especially if you have a long list and are trying to budget. Or if it's a scramble, what to try and snag first. 

Releases labeled limited run/regional focus typically have smaller quantities under 1,000 total units. It can also mean a release from an artist will be easier to find in a specific city or region. For example, there were a few years where a compilation called Wisconsin Vinyl was carried by most shops in Wisconsin that featured artists from the Badger State. It was eventually available online, but it's not the type of thing you would expect to find in Virginia.

RSD exclusives are pressed specifically for Record Store Day and aren't expected to otherwise be available. There have been exceptions and in some cases the "exclusive" only meant for a very specific configuration, but I would go into Record Store Day assuming the record won't be pressed again.

RSD first simply means a special variant is being produced for Record Store Day and a standard black version will be released later. In some cases the album is just being release on that day first to independent shops and the same version will become available to bigger retailers later. 

I noticed that there are also Record Store Day lists for other countries. Is there a difference?

Most of the releases in the U.S. will be available in other countries, but not all. Likewise, there are titles specific to RSD UK, RSD Canada and other countries. I usually check the UK list to see if anything interesting is coming out. In some cases I've found exclusives not available in the U.S. and ordered them after the fact. But no, not at flipper prices.

Who was the Record Store Day 2024 ambassador and what does it mean?

Each year an artist or band is selected ambassador. It's someone who champions music being release on vinyl and is supportive of independent record stores. This year it was Paramore. have included Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires (2023), Taylor Swift (2022), Pearl Jam (2019), Metallica (2016), Dave Grohl (2015) and Chuck D (2014). An ambassador has not yet been named for 2025.What is the difference between Record Store Day and Record Store Day Black Friday?

As a way to provide an added boost to independent shops around the holidays, the folks behind Record Store Day created an event for Black Friday. There are fewer titles and the idea is to offer releases that might stick around for holiday shoppers beyond Black Friday. You'll sometimes see messaging from organizers saying it's not a second Record Store Day, it's not Record Store Day Jr., but as a consumer and collector, it's essentially a second RSD but with a shorter line.

Record Store Day supporters, detractors and some random thoughts...

I'm active on social media within the vinyl community and every year you see the comments start flying after the list is announced and in the days leading up to RSD. There are a lot of folks that find a ton of releases that they're interested in purchasing. There are plenty of others who will complain that there isn't anything good, that Record Stores Day releases delay regular releases from coming out by creating a logjam at pressing plants, and that the day used to be awesome until the major label artists squeezed out all the indies.

Some shops don't want to participate out of fear of being stuck with unsold stock or just the costs involved. Others go all-in. I know an owner for a small shop that told me owners are asked for feedback each year, and last year the common theme was to scale things back. The list was too big.

I've only missed one day (the first one as I didn't know it existed), but it was a pair of releases from Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan — hardly indie artists — that got me to the second edition. Since then, I haven't looked back. It would be great to have more independent artists included, and I've certainly purchased plenty of releases from lesser-known bands and musicians, but the reality is if you're trying to mobilize shoppers and keep brick and mortar record stores alive, you need product that will appeal to the masses.

With hundreds of titles, there is pretty much something for everyone that wants to participate.

My best advice is go if you want to go. Buy what you want to buy (within reason and within budgetary means, of course). Stay home if you wish to stay home.

Most important of all: Enjoy the music.

Terry Lipshetz is the managing editor of the National Newsroom at Lee Enterprises, a leading provider of local news and information, and a major platform for advertising, with daily newspapers, rapidly-growing digital products, marketing services, innovative technology and nearly 350 weekly and specialty publications serving 73 markets in 26 states. In his spare time, he collects records as well as CDs, cassettes and even 8-tracks. Follow his musical journey on Instagram  and , or contact him at terry.lipshetz@lee.net.