The Sound Garden
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersBaltimore, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
The Sound Garden firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Sound Garden
- Legal name
- The Sound Garden Inc.
- Website
- https://sgrecordshop.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Sound Garden industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Music Retail
- SIC
- Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Turntables & Vinyl Audio Equipment Retail (CRACAEAH)
Keywords
Where The Sound Garden is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baltimore
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Sound Garden business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Retail Sales: In-store sales of vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, video games, posters, t-shirts, stickers, books and other merchandise from their Baltimore and Syracuse locations.
- E-commerce Sales: Online sales through the website with shipping to customers, offering new releases, pre-orders, used inventory, and exclusive signed merchandise.
- Gift Cards: Sale of eGift Cards in amounts from $5 to $500 for gifting purposes.
- Special Orders: Special orders placed for customers at no additional cost, typically arriving within a week.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vinyl Records |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signed Merchandise |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | eGift Cards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
The Sound Garden product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sound Garden is an independent record store that sells new and used vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, video games, books, posters, branded merchandise (t-shirts, stickers, apparel), gift cards, and artist-signed exclusive items through two physical retail locations (Baltimore, MD and Syracuse, NY) and an e-commerce website. The company also offers special-order services at no extra charge and hosts in-store artist events featuring national touring acts. Its catalog spans over 100,000 titles across genres including rock, pop, indie, jazz, electronic, metal, punk, hip-hop, soul, folk, world, and experimental music.
Product overview
The Sound Garden is an independent record store operating since 1993, offering a comprehensive music retail experience with both physical store locations (Baltimore, MD and Syracuse, NY) and an e-commerce platform. The core product portfolio centers on vinyl records (new and used) and CDs (new and used) across all genres including rock, pop, jazz, electronic, metal, punk, hip-hop, soul, folk, and world music. Additional offerings include DVDs/Blu-Rays, turntables and vinyl accessories, video games, books, posters, and branded merchandise including t-shirts, stickers, and collaborative apparel designs. The store also offers artist-signed items, pre-orders for upcoming releases, and in-store events featuring national artists. Customers can purchase gift cards ($5-$500) and access special ordering services for items not carried in-store. The Sound Garden's e-commerce platform is powered by FieldStack's Unified Commerce Platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- New Vinyl Records
Quantifiable outcome
- Free shipping on orders over $100
Companies that use The Sound Garden
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Sound Garden technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Sound Garden partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Vinyl Me PleaseminorVinyl Me Please recognized The Sound Garden as the Best Record Store in Maryland, featuring the store in their magazine/blog content and providing implicit endorsement to their subscriber base of vinyl enthusiasts.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Sound Garden competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Newbury Comics: New England-based specialty retail chain selling music, comics, pop culture merchandise, and apparel across multiple storefronts. Overlapping music retail assortment but with broader pop-culture focus and chain-scale economics.
Direct peers
- Discogs: Global online marketplace for new and used vinyl, CDs, and cassettes with a deep catalog across all genres. Direct competitor for collector demand and a price-discovery reference that constrains The Sound Garden's pricing power on used titles.
- Electric Fetus: Minneapolis independent record store founded in 1968, selling vinyl, CDs, DVDs, books, and gifts. Comparable longstanding independent-operator profile and multi-format physical-media assortment.
- Waterloo Records: Long-established independent record store in Austin, TX, operating since 1976 with vinyl, CD, and ancillary merchandise offerings plus in-store events. Comparable independent-operator profile, single-market focus, and award-winning brand.
- Amoeba Music: Iconic independent record store chain operating three flagship locations in California (Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco), selling new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and merchandise. Direct comparison to The Sound Garden in assortment depth, in-store events, and collector focus.
- Rough Trade: UK-origin independent record store with locations in Brooklyn and London, known for in-store artist performances and curated new-release focus. Closely comparable event-driven GTM and vinyl-forward inventory model.
- Vintage Vinyl: St. Louis-based independent record store with deep used and new vinyl inventory and in-store event programming. Mirrors The Sound Garden's vinyl-specialist positioning and collector customer base.
- Criminal Records: Atlanta-based independent record store with curated vinyl, in-store performances, and a buy/sell/trade component. Closely comparable mid-sized indie retailer with event-driven traffic model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Sound Garden social profiles
Digital presenceThe Sound Garden compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Sound Garden financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Sound Garden leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Sound Garden funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Sound Garden 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 The Sound Garden
What does The Sound Garden do?
The Sound Garden is an independent record store that sells new and used vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, video games, books, posters, branded merchandise (t-shirts, stickers, apparel), gift cards, and artist-signed exclusive items through two physical retail locations (Baltimore, MD and Syracuse, NY) and an e-commerce website. The company also offers special-order services at no extra charge and hosts in-store artist events featuring national touring acts. Its catalog spans over 100,000 titles across genres including rock, pop, indie, jazz, electronic, metal, punk, hip-hop, soul, folk, world, and experimental music.
Is The Sound Garden a public or private company?
The Sound Garden is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Sound Garden founded?
The Sound Garden was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Sound Garden based?
The Sound Garden is headquartered in Baltimore, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Sound Garden make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Physical Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales, gift Cards and special Orders.
Who are The Sound Garden's main competitors?
Newbury Comics is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Discogs, Electric Fetus, Waterloo Records, Amoeba Music, Rough Trade, Vintage Vinyl and Criminal Records.
Does The Sound Garden have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Sound Garden.
What industry is The Sound Garden in?
The Sound Garden's product category is Independent Music Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAEAH, Turntables & Vinyl Audio Equipment Retail. Its SIC code is 5735.