US | Music distributor Alliance Entertainment says it sold over 16M vinyl records and 13M CDs in 2025: US-based physical entertainment distributor and wholesaler Alliance Entertainment has reported quarterly growth in its vinyl and CD businesses as part of its financial results for calendar Q4 2025. For calendar Q4 (the company’s fiscal Q2 2026) ended December 31, 2025, the Florida-headquartered firm posted a 3% year-over-year increase in vinyl record revenue, which it attributed to “continued consumer demand for collectible and limited-edition releases.” CD revenue, meanwhile, was up approximately 5% YoY, supported, according to the company, “by higher unit volumes and the company’s first full quarter as the exclusive distributor for Virgin Music Group through its AMPED Distribution division”.
Bonita Springs, FL | Keeping the records spinning: From New York nightclubs to a Southwest Florida flea market, Ismael Coira turns his lifelong passion for music into a growing vinyl haven that brings people together. Music is a huge part of the culture in SWFL, from the bands that perform at sports games to the music heard on car radios. With the love of jazz, pop, hip-hop and other genres, Bonita Springs’ DJ Ishhh Records & Collectibles holds a collection of expression through vinyl. Owner Ismael Coira has always had a passion for music since his youth and enjoys sharing his love of music through his store. …“I’ve always been passionate about music from that, from the experience I had growing up in the nightclubs. This place, called the ‘Fun House,’ was a Saturday night ritual where we used to see Madonna before she was famous. She was the DJ’s girlfriend, and she would just hang out.”
East Hampton, CT | East Hampton mourns slated closure of book shop, record store and live music bar: The owner of a live music bar with a record shop and book store in East Hampton is closing up shop—with hopes that someone will take on the mantle. Dexter’s Tunes Tales & Ales, located at 91 Main Street, will close by March 31, according to a Facebook post. The owner, Martha Wick, said the business opened the space in 2021 with the goal of giving the spot five years in business. “And here we are,” Wick wrote. “This community, this room and all of you have meant more to me than I can ever put into words.” Her announcement prompted an outpouring of support in the comments, with locals thanking Wick for the great run.
Manchester, UK | ‘After 30 years, you learn what sells’: the owner of Manchester’s Vinyl Revival on supporting new artists. Ahead of The BRIT Awards 2026, Colin White explains why independent record stores are great spaces to champion new talent and create community connections. There’s something special about holding a record in your hands – slipping it out of the sleeve, studying the artwork and placing it on the turntable. And there’s nothing better than discovering a vinyl at a record store after flipping through all the LPs; leaving the shop with a tangible piece of your favourite artist or band. Record stores have always been more than places to buy music. They’re community hubs, attracting like-minded people who spend hours browsing collections and digging out forgotten classics. There’s also the opportunity to discover new artists and gain valuable knowledge from the store owner.
KR | Foreign Tourists Discover Korea’s Retro Charm in Record Shops, Tea Houses: Global K-culture popularity drives foreign interest in vintage music, traditional tea houses, and retro souvenirs, revitalizing local businesses. “Where are the 1960s records?” At 7 p.m. on the 8th, in a record shop in an underground commercial area near Myeongdong Street in Jung-gu, Seoul. Mr. Ito, 52, who came from Tokyo, Japan, eagerly examined the record shelves. He asked the clerk about the price in broken English and purchased an LP by the Korean band ‘Sanullim.’ He already held another album he had already bought. When asked how he discovered Sanullim, he said, “I found out about them through a video of an overseas band covering their songs.” Mr. Seo, 54, who has run a record shop in Seoul for over 30 years, said, “Recently, foreigners have been visiting the store much more frequently.”
Richmond, VA | A Neighborhood Hotspot And Community Haven In Richmond Is For Lovers Of Coffee—And Vinyl: This Black History Month, Blavity is looking at community institutions that are Buying Back the Block. Patrick Weaver has blended his love for coffee and vinyl to create a new community hotspot with Le Cache Dulcet. Inspired by the cafes and record stores he’s visited all over the world, the Richmond, Virginia, business is coming up on its one-year anniversary. Weaver admitted that he’s overcome with emotion at the success of the idea he once had, which has now blossomed into a music and coffee lover’s dream. “It’s kind of unbelievable,” he told Blavity. “It feels like it went by very quickly, and it’s like I really don’t feel like I’ve done 50% of what I really want this space to be about. I’m glad everybody loves it.”
Spokane, WA | Spokane Public Radio hosts 35th annual record sale: Spokane Public Radio celebrated its 35th annual record sale this Valentine’s weekend at the Center Place Regional Event Center. The event spanned two full days, offering treasures like music, movies and gear. Presale admission was $40, but entry to the actual event was free with a suggested $5 donation. A large crowd gathered ahead of the doors opening. Stephanie Ingoldby, the volunteer and outreach manager at Spokane Public Radio, emphasized the event’s sense of community, stating, “I think we need…we’re all connected,” said Ingoldby. According to Music Week, Gen Z is now “the driving force” behind a surge in vinyl record collecting. In 2024, record sales in the United States broke a 40-year record, totaling more than $1.4 billion in sales.
Coltrane 100: Landmark Album Reissues Announced for John Coltrane’s Centenary. This year’s second seismic centenary (after Miles Davis’s in May) will see a comprehensive schedule of previously unreleased and classic Coltrane albums issued. The Coltrane Estate has announced a comprehensive slate of album releases to mark the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth in 2026, bringing together Impulse! Records, Craft Recordings and Rhino Records for a year-long recorded tribute to the saxophonist’s enduring legacy. At the centre of the centenary programme is the first official release of the long-mythologised Tiberi Tapes, issued by Impulse! Records in September 2026, documenting previously unheard live recordings captured by Frank Tiberi between 1961 and 1965; the collection will be preceded by a special Record Store Day preview edition, The Tiberi Tapes: A Preview Of The Mythical Recordings, on 18 April.
Book Review: The Look of the Sound–The Album Art of Prestige Records: WAIL: The Visual Language of Prestige Records, by Chris Entwisle and Mark Havens, foreword by Sonny Rollins. RIT Press, 360 pages, $80. Ah, album covers! Remember them? Yes, they’re coming back, along with the music they contain—180-gram vinyl! So heavy, so cumbersome, so cool! But never in such abundance as during the years when vinyl was the main commercial means of distribution for recorded music, and when album covers helped define an artist’s persona, before the 12×12 image of the LP was shrunk to the 5×5 of the CD and then . . . pfffft! “Pure media.” Music’s physical manifestation—gone.
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