Record Store Day

What Record Store Day does

Record Store Day is a private promotional organization founded in 2007 and headquartered in Los Angeles that coordinates the annual Record Store Day event and a portfolio of supporting programs celebrating independently owned record stores. The core offering is the April Record Store Day event — a coordinated, one-day release window of 350+ exclusive limited-edition vinyl titles available only at participating indie brick-and-mortar stores, with Alliance Entertainment/AMPED shipping 700,000+ units across 1,500+ US retailers for the 2026 cycle (8% YoY growth). Supporting products include RSD Black Friday (launched 2010), RSD Summer Camp conference (2016), RSD Essentials year-round catalog releases with Think Indie and Cured Vinyl (2021), the RSD New Artist Series with Atlantic Records (2022), the RSD MRKT online marketplace, and the Record Store Day Podcast hosted by Paul Myers.

The organization operates a platform-plus-events model without selling products directly. Revenue is generated through sponsorships — the website lists 30+ sponsor logos including major record labels and distributors (ADA, AENT, Amped, Sony, Virgin Music, Orchard, Redeye, WEA, DiskUnion, MVD) and non-music brands (Monster Energy, Marshall, Tito's Vodka, Luminate, VYDIA) — and through coordination fees associated with managing the release list, store participation approvals (RSD Pledge), and country-level operations across 17 official international sites. Pricing of individual vinyl releases is set independently by participating stores and their distributors; Record Store Day does not take a commission on transactions.

Name

Record Store Day

Legal name

Record Store Day

Website

https://recordstoreday.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Record Store Day is a private promotional organization coordinating annual exclusive vinyl-release events at 1,400+ independently owned record stores across 17 countries, supported by industry sponsorships and a portfolio of year-round programs including an online marketplace, podcast, and conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Retail Events

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Independent record stores
• Vinyl release events
• Music retail promotion
• Limited edition vinyl
• Record store events

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Record Store Day generates revenue through sponsorships from labels, distributors, and music industry vendors. The organization lists numerous sponsors on its website including ADA, AENT, Amped, Marshall, Monster Energy, and others. Sponsors get visibility and association with the Record Store Day brand and event.
2. Store Participation Coordination: While Record Store Day does not directly sell vinyl releases, it coordinates the participation of independent record stores. The organization screens and approves participating stores, manages the official release list, and facilitates the overall event ecosystem.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Record Store Day coordinates an annual celebration of independent record stores, held each April at brick-and-mortar record stores worldwide, featuring hundreds of exclusive limited-edition vinyl releases, in-store performances, and community events. The organization facilitates partnerships between independent record stores, record labels, and distributors, and operates the RSD MRKT online marketplace for past and current releases.

Product overview

Record Store Day operates as an event-driven platform centered on its annual celebration of independent record stores. The core product is the Record Store Day event itself, held each April, which features exclusive limited-edition vinyl releases and in-store festivities. The ecosystem includes supporting products: the RSD MRKT 24/7 online marketplace for purchasing past and current RSD releases; the Record Store Day Podcast hosted by Paul Myers featuring artist and industry interviews; the RSD Black Friday sister event; RSD Summer Camp annual conference; RSD Essentials year-round classic catalog releases; RSD New Artist Series for emerging artists; and the Ambassador and Legend programs recognizing artist contributions to vinyl culture. The portfolio functions as a platform-plus-events model, with the core annual event driving participation in the supporting marketplace and year-round initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RSD MRKT: An always-open online marketplace where customers can find special releases from participating record stores.
• Record Store Day Podcast
• RSD Black Friday
• RSD Summer Camp
• RSD Essentials

Products and services

• Record Store Day Annual celebration of independent record store culture held at brick-and-mortar record stores worldwide, featuring exclusive limited-edition vinyl and CD releases, in-store performances, and community events.
• RSD Black Friday Annual event held the day after Thanksgiving, offering record stores exclusive releases as part of redirecting focus of the biggest shopping day to independent small businesses.
• RSD MRKT 24/7 online marketplace aggregating RSD Pledge-signed US brick-and-mortar record stores, offering new copies of RSD releases from current and past events, as well as record store variants of new releases and reissues.
• RSD Summer Camp Annual conference devoted to the independent record store business, providing a forum for store owners and staff to meet and interact with labels, distribution, vendors, and industry professionals.
• RSD Essentials Partnership with Think Indie Distribution and Cured Vinyl bringing classic essential catalog releases of all genres and decades to record store bins year-round.
• RSD New Artist Series Partnership with Atlantic Records introducing younger artists and fans to physical formats and record stores through a tour of in-store appearances, signings, and performances.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700,000 units shipped for RSD 2026, an 8% increase from the previous year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Accor's TRIBE HotelsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 April 2026TRIBE Hotels launched the TRIBE Vinyl Club on April 18, 2026 in partnership with Record Store Day, installing vinyl listening stations in select hotels worldwide including Paris Clichy, London, Lyon, Dusseldorf, Phuket, and Auckland, each paired with local independent record stores. The initiative includes an exclusive 1,000-copy vinyl LP titled 'New Grounds' curated with Radio Nova.
• Atlantic RecordscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with Atlantic Records created the RSD New Artist Series, introducing younger artists and fans to the beauty of physical formats and the glory of the record store with a tour of in-store appearances, signings and performances across the country.
• Making Vinyl ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Record Store Day was a founding partner in the Making Vinyl conference, which brings together the companies and individuals responsible for the ongoing vinyl resurgence.
• Alliance Entertainment (AMPED Distribution)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlliance Entertainment's AMPED distribution arm supports Record Store Day releases, handling over 120 exclusive titles representing nearly 30% of total RSD offerings for 2026. They shipped over 700,000 units to more than 1,500 independent music retailers for Record Store Day 2026.
• Think Indie DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn 2021, Record Store Day partnered with Think Indie Distribution and Cured Vinyl for a series of releases called RSD Essentials, bringing classic 'essential' catalog releases of all genres and decades to record store bins year-round.
• Label Sponsors (ADA, AENT, Sony, Virgin Music, etc.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNumerous record labels and music industry vendors sponsor Record Store Day and are listed on the website. Sponsors include ADA, AENT, AMS, Amped, BCW, Crosley, DiskUnion, DFH, Furnace, Glowtronics, Luminate, Marshall, Monster, MBA, MVD, Orchard, Redeye, Sony, Street Pulse, Think Indie, Tito's Vodka, Toyokasei, Traffic, Tribe, Vinyl Styl, Virgin Music, VYDIA, and WEA.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vinyl Me, Please: Subscription-based vinyl club curating monthly records for collectors and music enthusiasts. Targets the same vinyl-collector demographic that Record Store Day serves and operates a similar discovery-and-collecting model.
• Amoeba Music: Large independent record store with locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Berkeley. A flagship participant in Record Store Day events and a representative example of the indie brick-and-mortar retail base RSD rallies.
• Discogs: Crowdsourced music database and global marketplace for vinyl, CDs, and cassettes. Operates the largest community for record collectors, overlapping directly with RSD's collector audience and the RSD MRKT marketplace model.
• Rough Trade: Iconic independent record store chain with locations in the UK and US. Operates the brick-and-mortar indie retail model that Record Store Day exists to celebrate, sharing the same independent-music-first ethos.

Broad incumbents

• Concord: Large independent music label, publisher, and theatrical rights holder. Operates broadly in the recorded music space overlapping with RSD's label ecosystem but does not focus on the indie retail celebration niche.
• C3 Presents: Live event producer behind Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits. Comparable as a music festival and event organizer at meaningful scale, though broader in genre and not focused on retail or vinyl.

Others

• A2IM: American Association of Independent Music, a trade body for independent labels. Awarded RSD the Marketplace Ally of the Year in 2015; serves as an ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Alliance Entertainment: Major distributor whose AMPED division handles roughly 30% of RSD titles and shipped 700,000+ units to 1,500+ retailers for RSD 2026. A core distribution partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Music Biz Association: Industry trade association (formerly NARM) that granted RSD the Independent Spirit Award in 2013. Functions as a complementary ecosystem organization supporting physical-format music retail.

Emerging players

• VNYL: Subscription vinyl service targeting music collectors. Smaller-scale emerging player with overlapping collector demographic but a narrower geographic footprint than Record Store Day's global event.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/recordstoreday
• YouTubeyoutube.com/recordstoreday
• Facebookfacebook.com/recordstoreday
• Instagraminstagram.com/recordstoredayus
• Pinterestpinterest.com/recordstoreday

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Record Store Day