Sonic Boom Records

What Sonic Boom Records does

Sonic Boom Records is an independently owned record store founded in 1997 in Seattle, Washington, currently operating a single storefront at 2209 NW Market St in the Ballard neighborhood. The business sells new and used vinyl records, CDs, and cassette tapes, with a curated focus on indie rock, punk, metal, soul, jazz, rap, and classic rock, and also purchases used collections from customers, offering a 25% premium for store credit. Ancillary revenue is generated through branded merchandise (T-shirts, hoodies, hats, beanies, tote bags, stickers, dog collars), gift certificates denominated from $25 to $500, and an annual ZINE publication. Distribution is anchored by the physical Ballard location, supplemented by an e-commerce website (sonicboomrecords.com) and a verified Discogs seller profile for catalog sales.

The store's commercial model is direct-to-consumer retail with no disclosed technology platform, no digital distribution product, and no AI/ML systems; all buying, appraisal, and merchandising is performed manually by an 11–50 employee team under owner Mike Pitts, who acquired the business from founders Jason Hughes and Nabil Ayers in 2016. Sonic Boom differentiates through deep community integration with the Seattle music scene, hosting recurring in-store performances, listening parties, Record Store Day celebrations, and artist collaborations — including historical ties to Death Cab for Cutie, Sleater-Kinney, and Band of Horses, and recent events such as the Panda Bear & Sonic Boom listening party.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the business operates without venture capital, private equity, or parent-company involvement. The go-to-market relies on foot traffic, organic social (Instagram), community events, and the annual Record Store Day cycle, with customer segments split between music enthusiasts/collectors (primary) and individual sellers of used collections (secondary). No patents, regulatory actions, M&A activity, or institutional funding rounds are associated with the company.

Name

Sonic Boom Records

Legal name

Sonic Boom Records

Website

https://sonicboomrecords.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sonic Boom Records is an independently owned Seattle record store founded in 1997, operating a single Ballard storefront selling new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and branded merchandise to music collectors and the local indie community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Record Store

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914)

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)

akta.pro primary industry

Physical Recorded Music Manufacturing (Vinyl/CD/Cassette) (MPAIAAAE)

Keywords

• Independent record store
• Vinyl record sales
• Used music media
• Music merchandise retail
• In-store listening events

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Music Media: Primary revenue from selling new and used vinyl records, CDs, and cassette tapes. They purchase used records from customers and resell them at markup. They also sell music merchandise including apparel and accessories.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, beanies, stickers, tote bags, and dog collars. Gift certificates also available for purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sonic Boom Records is an independent record store that sells new and used vinyl records, CDs, and cassette tapes, with a curated focus on indie rock, punk, metal, soul, jazz, rap, and classic rock. The store also purchases used collections from customers (offering a 25% bonus for store credit) and sells branded merchandise including apparel, hats, beanies, stickers, tote bags, dog collars, gift certificates, and an annual zine. Community programming through in-store listening parties, live performances, and Record Store Day celebrations is integral to the offering.

Product overview

Sonic Boom Records is a Seattle-based independent record store founded in 1997, operating as a single-location retail business with no digital platform. The store's core offerings include vinyl records, CDs, and cassette tapes—both new and used—with a particular focus on indie-rock, punk, metal, soul, jazz, rap, and classic rock. The company also operates a used record purchasing service that buys items from customers, offering 25% extra value for store credit. Ancillary offerings include branded merchandise (apparel such as t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and beanies, plus accessories like tote bags and stickers) and gift certificates in various denominations. The store hosts regular in-store events including listening parties and live performances, and publishes an annual zine. All operations center on the physical Ballard location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vinyl Records New and used vinyl LP records offered across all genres, with particular interest in indie-rock, punk, metal, soul, jazz, rap, and classic rock. Sold to individual music enthusiasts and collectors.
• CDs

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Criminal Records: Independent record store in Atlanta, Georgia, with new and used vinyl, in-store events, and a curated indie/alternative focus. Comparable in store size, curation style, and event-led community engagement.
• Rough Trade NYC: Iconic independent record store with locations in Brooklyn and London, specializing in curated vinyl, in-store concerts, and a strong indie/DIY community identity. Operates the same combination of curated retail, live events, and cultural cachet that defines Sonic Boom's model.
• Waterloo Records: Austin, Texas-based independent record store with a similarly curated selection, in-store performances, and a strong local-music-scene identity. Closely comparable to Sonic Boom in operating model and event-driven community engagement.
• Amoeba Music: Iconic independent record store chain operating multiple large-format locations in California (Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco). Operates the same brick-and-mortar indie record store model with new and used vinyl, in-store events, and a strong community identity — the most direct comparable to Sonic Boom in scale and operating philosophy.
• Easy Street Records: Long-running independent record store in Seattle's West Seattle and Queen Anne neighborhoods. Sells new and used vinyl, CDs, and merchandise; hosts in-store performances. Direct Seattle-metro competitor with overlapping customer base and very similar Indie-focused curation philosophy.
• Reckless Records: Iconic independent record store with multiple locations in Chicago, known for deep new and used vinyl inventory and a strong local-music-scene presence. Direct comparable on format mix, used-buying model, and community-driven operation.
• Zia Records: Arizona-based independent record store chain with multiple retail locations, trading cards, and merchandise. Comparable in offering breadth (vinyl, CDs, collectibles, branded merchandise) and independent multi-store operations.
• Bull Moose Music: Independent record store chain across New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont) with physical storefronts and e-commerce. Comparable new/used vinyl, CD, and cassette inventory mix with a strong community store identity.
• Strictly Discs: Independent record store in Madison, Wisconsin, renowned for its curated selection and Record Store Day programming. Same brick-and-mortar indie model with deep community ties and a strong used-vinyl pipeline.

Others

• Discogs: Online marketplace and database for physical music media, where Sonic Boom itself maintains a seller profile. Not a direct peer but a key distribution channel and competitive context for used-record sales nationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sonicboomrecords
• Xx.com/sonicboomnation
• Facebookfacebook.com/sonicboomrecords206
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonic-boom-records-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sonic Boom Records