Your Favourite Record Store Revealed
And the winner is....
Landspeed Records ACT (Supplied)
The Music’s search for Australia’s greatest record store is over! With six weeks of voting coming to a close, our readers have had their say, and the most popular stores from each state can now be revealed. Of course, everybody’s favourite record store is subjective…. the best store is the one you love.
The real purpose of the exercise has been our journey across the weeks, being able to shine a light on what’s happening out there in the over 200 small stores we have uncovered, bringing tunes to loyal customers.
Who wins is less important than the fun we’ve had profiling stores, finding out what punters are buying, shining a light on what’s challenging and of course celebrating the best bits of working in a record store.
If our series has inspired you to get into vinyl, you can even check out our guide on buying your first turntable.
We’d also like to shout out to the lucky voter who has taken home our voter prize, Chris. He’s scored himself a $200 voucher to the store he voted for, Heartland Records in Victoria.
Without any further ado, here are Australia’s favourite record stores for 2025.
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BEST RECORD STORE IN NEW SOUTH WALES
Since 1978 we have been known as THE HOME OF HEAVY METAL, but that term covers a lot of ground in 2025, from the Classic Rock bombast of Cream, Deep Purple, The Who, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to today's myriad of sub-genres and even sub-genres within sub-genres such as Technical Death Metal, Funeral Doom, Neoclassical Shred, Djent, Ambient Black Metal, Deathcore, Scooby Doo Chase Music etc etc etc. If it's noisy, chances are we have it.
BEST RECORD STORE IN VICTORIA
The best thing about running a record store is the camaraderie. The people I’ve met through the store has been amazing! Some lifelong friends, just some of the most loyal customers you could ever ask for. My small team are like my own family and i wouldnt have it any other way. Also introducing customers to bands or artists they have never heard of and then have them come back nest time gloating how much they loved that album or artist that you recommended, that is a great feeling.
BEST RECORD STORE IN QUEENSLAND
We opened the store in Broadbeach originally in March 2016. Jayden had been in the music industry for years, first playing in bands, then owning a recording studio then working and managing various record stores.
The time had come for us to start a family and have him closer to home and opening up our own store had always been the goal. Two weeks after opening we welcomed our first daughter. We were in Broadbeach for 8 years before making the move to Burleigh in August 2024.
BEST RECORD STORE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The store is owned and operated by the same husband and wife who opened it. There’s also a cracking team of 20-somethings working throughout the week to make sure we’re running smoothly and constantly stocked up on the best records, including yours truly writing this who is constantly scouring out new suppliers and connections to expand our range well beyond what your average store can stock.
BEST RECORD STORE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The owners are myself (Matt aka 'Footy') and my wife Laura. We have been lifelong supporters of the local music community. We began attending local punk and hardcore shows from a very young age, that then lead to playing in numerous bands, running a record label and booking countless amount of shows, tours and festivals. After the closure of an independent record store that I worked at for 5 years, it felt like a natural progression for us to open our own store. Together, we created Clarity Records and opened our doors for the first time in 2010.
BEST RECORD STORE IN TASMANIA
We opened in September 2022 and sell only music by women. We wanted to create an inviting space to showcase great music, whilst addressing persistent inequality across the industry.
We celebrate and highlight the incredible contributions women have and continue to make to music, with a catalogue that focuses on women-led bands and female artists. We think it’s important a broad range of voices are given space to be heard and celebrated in the current global political climate. We also like encouraging people to support musicians in tangible ways, so they can keep making great music.
BEST RECORD STORE IN THE ACT
The best thing about running a record store is seeing the resurgence of interest in physical music, now not just on vinyl but on CD too. Ten to fifteen years ago, the outlook for record stores was pretty bleak but now many are busier than they’ve ever been and instead of seeing stores closing we are seeing new ones opening up which is amazing!
Generally, though, the best thing is the people that come in through the door. You never know who you’ll meet. The weird and the wonderful. The famous (The PM is a customer) to the unknown. Every single one has a passion for music and some wisdom to impart.
So, without any further ado…..
BEST RECORD STORE IN AUSTRALIA
The store with the highest vote count this year was Canberra’s Landspeed Records! Congratulations to Blake, Byron and the team on taking out this year’s title. You can head on down to check out what all the fuss is about at 30 Garema Place, Canberra, or check out their range online here.
Thanks to everyone who voted, sent in a profile or simply discovered new stores they didn’t realise existed. We hope you’ve had as much fun following along as we have meeting so many great people dedicating their lives to music.
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