Phonica Records
Phonica Records is an independent London Soho-based vinyl record retailer founded in 2003, specializing in dance and electronic music records, CDs, cassettes, and merchandise for DJs and music collectors globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Phonica Records does
Phonica Records is an independent specialist music retailer founded in 2003 and headquartered at 51 Poland Street in London's Soho district. The company focuses on dance and electronic music, selling new releases, pre-orders, used/secondhand records, CDs, cassettes, and a broad merchandise range (turntables, styli, slipmats, headphones, speakers, vinyl cleaning products, tote bags, books and magazines, and branded t-shirts). It also operates its own record label releasing house, techno, and electronic music compilations and artist releases. The customer base is primarily DJs and music collectors seeking specialist and rare editions across genres including house, techno, disco, drum & bass, electronica, hip-hop, jazz, and experimental electronic.
The business runs an omnichannel model combining a physical retail store in Soho with an e-commerce website that supports registered customer accounts, 1-click checkout, order tracking, and in-store pickup. The underlying technology is a standard e-commerce platform with integrated inventory shared between the physical shop and online store, accepting Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal, and shipping domestically within the UK (with free delivery over £100) and internationally to the EU and other markets. Marketing is driven by an email newsletter, staff and DJ charts, curated features, and social login integrations (Facebook, Twitter).
Revenue is generated entirely through transactional sales of physical media, merchandise, gift cards (£10–£250 denominations), and own-label releases. Phonica Records is a privately held UK private limited company (registered in England and Wales, company number 04625246) with no public financials, no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. The business is founder-operated and has maintained a single physical location since inception, with no disclosed leadership team in the available data.
Phonica Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Phonica Records
- Legal name
- Phonica Records
- Website
- https://phonicarecords.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Phonica Records is an independent London Soho-based vinyl record retailer founded in 2003, specializing in dance and electronic music records, CDs, cassettes, and merchandise for DJs and music collectors globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Phonica Records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Phonica Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Vinyl Record Sales: Retail sale of new and used vinyl records across multiple genres including house, techno, disco, jazz, hip-hop, and more. The store stocks both new releases and reissues, with pre-order capabilities for upcoming releases.
- CD and Cassette Sales: Sale of CDs and cassette tapes complementing the vinyl offering.
- Merchandise and Accessories: Sale of vinyl-related merchandise including turntables, slipmats, record cleaning products, headphones, speakers, turntable accessories, bags, storage solutions, books, magazines, and branded Phonica merchandise including t-shirts.
- Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold in denominations of £10, £25, £50, £75, £100, and £250. Gift cards can be used for any goods on the website except Technics decks, additional gift vouchers, or tickets.
- Own Label Releases: Phonica Records releases music under their own record label, featuring compilations and artist releases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vinyl Records |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Used Records |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Phonica Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Phonica Records is an independent vinyl record retailer specialising in dance and electronic music, operating both a physical store in Soho, London and an e-commerce website. The core offering is the sale of new releases, pre-orders, and used vinyl records across genres including house, techno, disco, electronica, drum & bass, jazz, hip hop, and related styles, complemented by CDs, cassettes, turntable accessories, branded merchandise, and gift cards.
Product overview
Phonica Records is a London Soho-based vinyl records specialist established in 2003, specializing in dance and electronic music. The core offering is vinyl records (new releases, pre-orders, and used records) across diverse genres including House/Deep House, Tech-House/Minimal, Disco/Balearic, Techno/Electro, Drum & Bass/Jungle, Electronica/Ambient, Hip Hop, Jazz, and more. The company also sells its own Phonica Records label products, CDs, cassettes, and a merchandise range including t-shirts, turntable accessories, slipmats, record bags, and vinyl cleaning products. Additional services include gift cards, DJ charts, and staff charts featuring curated recommendations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vinyl Records Physical vinyl records including new releases, pre-orders, and used/secondhand records across multiple dance and electronic music genres, for DJs, collectors, and music enthusiasts.
- CDs & Cassettes Compact discs and cassette tapes featuring electronic, dance, jazz, and various other music genres, complementing the vinyl offering.
- Merchandise and Music Accessories Branded Phonica t-shirts and clothing, turntables, styli, headphones, speakers, slipmats, record bags, vinyl cleaning products, books, and magazines for vinyl enthusiasts and DJs.
- Phonica Records Gift Cards Digital and physical gift vouchers available in denominations of £10, £25, £50, £75, £100, or £250 for use on the website or in-store.
- Phonica Records Label Releases Records released under the Phonica Records own label, featuring house, techno, and electronic music from various artists.
Companies that use Phonica Records
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Phonica Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Phonica Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Vinyl FactorycoreThe Vinyl Factory is an independent British company that collaborates with musicians and artists to create ultra-premium handmade limited editions and accompanying exhibitions. They designed and built the Phonica Records website, indicating an ongoing web development and design partnership.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Phonica Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bleep: Warp Records' online music store selling vinyl, downloads, and exclusive physical editions across electronic/experimental genres — a directly comparable specialist electronic music retailer.
- Resident Music: Independent UK record store (Brighton with London presence) specialising in new vinyl, exclusives, and pre-orders across indie and electronic genres — comparable omnichannel independent retailer.
- The Vinyl Factory: London-based premium vinyl/limited-edition specialist and Phonica's web/design partner — comparable vinyl-led business with shared cultural positioning in the dance/electronic ecosystem.
- Juno Records: Large online dance/electronic music retailer offering vinyl, CDs, and DJ equipment with global shipping — directly comparable specialist e-commerce competitor for Phonica's core category.
- Rough Trade: UK independent record store chain with physical stores (including London) and a strong e-commerce site selling new vinyl, pre-orders, and exclusive editions — the closest UK-scale analogue to Phonica's specialist retail model.
- Rubadub Records: Glasgow-based independent record store and online retailer specialising in house, techno, disco, and electronic vinyl with worldwide shipping — comparable UK specialist with strong DJ/electronic focus.
- Sounds of the Universe (Soul Jazz Records): London specialist record shop (Soho/Graffiti) with strong focus on reggae, dub, soul, jazz, and dance music on vinyl — overlaps directly with Phonica's specialist curated approach.
- Sister Ray: Long-running Soho-based independent record store selling new and second-hand vinyl, CDs, and merchandise across indie/alternative/dance — directly comparable London specialist retailer.
Regional players
- Amoeba Music: Iconic large-format independent record store chain in the US (LA, Berkeley, SF, Hollywood) selling new and used vinyl, CDs, and merchandise — benchmark for scale of an independent specialist retailer.
- Hard Wax: Berlin-based dance and electronic music specialist with strong vinyl curation and a global online shop — the leading EU specialist rival to Phonica, especially post-Brexit.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Phonica Records social profiles
Digital presencePhonica Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Phonica Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Phonica Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Phonica Records M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Phonica Records
What does Phonica Records do?
Phonica Records is an independent vinyl record retailer specialising in dance and electronic music, operating both a physical store in Soho, London and an e-commerce website. The core offering is the sale of new releases, pre-orders, and used vinyl records across genres including house, techno, disco, electronica, drum & bass, jazz, hip hop, and related styles, complemented by CDs, cassettes, turntable accessories, branded merchandise, and gift cards.
Is Phonica Records a public or private company?
Phonica Records is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Phonica Records founded?
Phonica Records was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Phonica Records based?
Phonica Records is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Phonica Records make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Vinyl Record Sales are the primary driver. The others are CD and Cassette Sales, merchandise and Accessories, gift Cards and own Label Releases.
Who are Phonica Records's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bleep, Resident Music, The Vinyl Factory, Juno Records, Rough Trade, Rubadub Records, Sounds of the Universe (Soul Jazz Records) and Sister Ray. Regional players are Amoeba Music and Hard Wax.
Does Phonica Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Phonica Records.