From Vinyl to Spotify: The Comeback of Music Collecting: It may seem strange that individuals are searching through dusty crates for vinyl records or devoting hours to create digital music libraries in a time when ease rules. However, there is a significant resurgence of music collecting, whether it be digital or analog. Even though websites like 22Bet provide rapid amusement, some fans are going back to the slower, more deliberate enjoyment of collecting music. But why this resurgence in a world where millions of music are instantly accessible through streaming services? The change started off subtly, almost as a protest.
Hackney, UK | Inside a record store’s fight for survival in Hackney: Hackney record store owner Robert Smith started selling used vinyl during the pandemic. What began with 400 discs bought on eBay and listed online—along with Lego and other bric-a-brac from his parent’s loft—soon saw “ridiculous” growth. In a matter of months, Smith found himself on the phone to global music marketplace, Discogs, who had called to let him know he was now one of the UK’s top 30 sellers. After many long days of packing shipments in the morning and listing more vinyl in the evening, the work became more fluid. “I was like a machine,” he says. By 2023, Smith had opened up a record store, Recycle Vinyl in West Yorkshire—15 years after he left London. The following year he moved back to Hackney to realise his dream of an “adaptable, multi-use space” where people could shop for records and dance to DJs spinning only vinyl.
Dundee, UK | Assai Records & Dundee FC: Assai Records is a record shop born and bred in Dundee and has featured on the Financial Times’ “world’s greatest record stores” list. They are renowned for their passionate support of music culture, vinyl enthusiasts, and live performance. Founded in Dundee and now with stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Assai Records has built a loyal following in Scotland and worldwide through its online store. They have become known for their wide selection of vinyl records, CDs, and other music-related products. …Assai Records is thrilled to announce its new partnership with Dundee Football Club, which will see the company become the official sponsor of the club’s warm-up kit for the 2025/26 season. As part of this collaboration, the Assai Records logo will feature on the back of the first team’s warm-up shirts.
Houston, TX | Inside Houston’s Cactus Music Listening Parties—with Free Beer and Pizza: Whether you’re an impassioned fan of the featured performers or looking for new music to discover, these events are perfect for celebrating music and making friends. Cactus Music has been selling Houston audiophiles their favorite albums for the past 50 years. Even in the age of streaming, the enduring Montrose/Upper Kirby record store provides something giants like Spotify and Apple Music can’t: a community centered around hyper-localized music events, including listening parties and live performances by local and touring acts. The listening parties, which gained popularity in February 2023, offer attendees the chance to preview new releases either on the day of or shortly after their official release.
Louisville, KY | Guestroom Records to open second location in Louisville. Here’s where to find it. Guestroom Records plans to keep the LPs spinning and will open a second location in the Highlands neighborhood. The new and used record store announced the new location at 1330 Bardstown Road on its Guestroom Records social media pages on July 24. “Our beloved storefront on Frankfort Avenue has been running out of room for years now,” the store posted on Facebook. “Our starter house is just too small for all our friends and records.” Specializing in LPs, CDs, cassettes, stereo equipment and record players, Guestroom Records is also known for its listening parties, in-store artist appearances and special events. In March, the store, located at 1806 Frankfort Ave., hosted Louisville’s own Grammy-nominated My Morning Jacket for an in-store signing with Jim James, Patrick Hallahan and Tom Blankenship in celebration of the release of “is,” the band’s 10th album.
Brooklyn, NY | New record store Finer Sounds opens in Brooklyn: Brooklyn has a new record store, Finer Sounds. Located in Boerum Hill at The Ace Hotel’s Schermerhorn Street location, shop owners David Azzoni and Shota Lyobe opened Finer Sounds’ new space late last month. They currently offer both an in-store selection and online shop, and carry a wide variety of new electronic vinyl spanning IDM, techno, house, disco, soul, funk, new age, ambient and more. Shoppers can preview their purchases using Finer Sounds’ dedicated listening station, which connects to a custom sound system designed and built by New York-based DJ and producer Nak. As they build their business, Finer Sounds plans to begin selling vinyl, books, audio accessories like headphones, and lightly used records. “We simplify music discovery with a curated selection of vinyl records and audio essentials,” the owners told Resident Advisor.
10 Best Video Game Soundtracks On Vinyl: Collecting vinyl came back into popularity over the course of the last decade or so, and in a very big way. In an effort to push back on the age of streaming, and also to earn some street cred in the hipster community, many of us got back on the wax wave and have LP after LP lining our shelves—and emptying our wallets. Or perhaps, maybe you’re someone who still remembers buying records on vinyl way back in their original heyday and has simply never stopped. However you’ve gotten here, you’ll likely agree with me that there’s just something special about dropping a needle onto an album and being serenaded by the tunes of your choosing. As gamers, it’s also no secret to us that certain video games have original soundtracks that aren’t just great within the medium, but are genuine musical works of art that transcend the “video game music” moniker.
Nagoya, JP | Dig for Vinyl Gold in Nagoya this Summer! Don’t Miss the All Japan Record & CD Summer Carnival—August 16–17, 2025. If you’re a music lover planning a trip to Japan this August, here’s an event you won’t want to miss: the All Japan Record & CD Summer Carnival in Nagoya! Whether you’re a serious collector or a casual browser, this is your chance to explore Japan’s vibrant vinyl scene—right in the heart of the country. …Each shop brings its own specialties—so no two booths are the same. The atmosphere is welcoming, lively, and full of surprises! While Japan is still a cash-friendly country, many vendors at this fair do accept credit cards. It’s easier than ever to enjoy crate-digging without the need to carry too much cash. …Whether you’re looking for Japanese grooves, funky imports, or nostalgic classics, you’ll find it here.
Edinburgh, UK | Ozzy on Vinyl: 15 vinyl releases that sold for huge amounts on Discogs from the late icon: Ozzy lives on forever through his music – so what of his back catalogue has sold for huge amounts previously? The world bid farewell to Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham yesterday (July 30, 2025), in what was both a solemn and raucous occasion as the metal community came together to pay their last respects to ‘the Prince of Darkness.’ Much like many music icons, though, we’re lucky to have his legacy live on much after his death, with his works with Black Sabbath and his solo career, which featured celebrated guitarists such as Zakk Wylde and the late Randy Rhoads. Ozzy also happened to be one of the few musicians to cross over into another realm of entertainment; not content with appearing in the 1986 horror movie Trick or Treat or cameoing in Little Nicky, we, of course, had the pleasure of the entire Osbourne clan on our televisions through their smash hit MTV reality series.
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