Record Store Day in San Francisco Bay Area, California
Two dates to know: Record Store Day Black Friday is Friday, November 29, 2026, and the next main Record Store Day is Saturday, April 17, 2027.
What is Record Store Day?
Record Store Day is an annual event built around independent record stores. The main event traditionally lands on the third Saturday of April each year; Record Store Day Black Friday is traditionally held the day after US Thanksgiving. Both days bring exclusive, limited-run vinyl and CD releases sold only at participating independent shops — not big-box retailers, and not mail order until the in-store exclusives sell through. Because pressings are limited, popular titles can sell out within the first hour, which is why a line-early culture has grown up around the day even at shops that are otherwise quiet on a weekday morning.
Tips for the day
- Arrive early. At busy shops, lines for popular titles can start well before opening.
- Bring cash. A cash line often moves faster than card on a shop's highest-volume day of the year.
- Check each shop's own site or Instagram in the week before the date — participating shops post their own opening time, line policy, and which exclusive titles they've ordered in.
- Release lists are first-come, first-served and vary store to store. A title in stock at one shop may not show up at another, even across town.
- Expect one-per-customer or per-household limits on the most in-demand titles.
- Not every independent record store participates every year, and allocations vary shop to shop — confirm directly with the shop rather than assuming based on a past year.
Shops to check in San Francisco Bay Area, California
Independent record shops open in San Francisco Bay Area, California right now. We don't yet track which specific shops participate in Record Store Day or what they've ordered in for a given year — check each shop's own site or Instagram close to the date for their exclusive-release list, opening time, and line policy.
- 1-2-3-4 Go! Records
Punk and indie-focused record store in Oakland's Temescal district with a large selection of new vinyl, run by musicians from the Bay Area punk scene.
1 source
- 101 Music
North Beach record shop with a Grant Avenue storefront and a basement stocked with an estimated 50,000+ unsorted used records.
1 source
- 101 Music (Green St)
Sister store to 101 Music's Grant Ave shop, opened 1995 a few hundred feet away; vintage stereo gear, instruments and a basement warren of roughly 50,000 unsorted records priced at $5 apiece.
2 sources
- Amoeba Music
Massive independent record store in a converted Haight Street bowling alley, with new and used vinyl, CDs, and an in-house jazz and hip-hop selection considered among the best in the Bay Area.
1 source
- Amoeba Music Berkeley
Berkeley flagship of the Amoeba Music chain near the UC campus, with a deep new-and-used catalog spanning rock, jazz, hip-hop, soul, and more.
1 source
- Bar Crenn
Dominique Crenn's cocktail lounge redesigned in 1950s Tokyo jazz-kissa style, with a wall of records and vintage turntable soundtracking five intimate tables.
2 sources
- Bar Shiru
Bay Area's pioneering hi-fi jazz kissa: fully analog sound system, 75+ acoustic panels, full albums played start to finish, groups capped at six to preserve deep listening.
2 sources
- Beaker's Records
Neighborhood vinyl shop on Central Avenue in Alameda, a Record Store Day participating retailer.
1 source
- Bird & Beckett Books & Records
Glen Park bookstore and used-record shop specializing in jazz LPs, also serving as a nonprofit live jazz venue hosting weekly concerts since 2002.
1 source
- Cafe Suspiro
OSM lead verified: SoMa coffee counter combining pour-over coffee with a growing new-and-used vinyl selection and music-focused books.
2 sources
- Cantina Records
North Beach vintage vinyl shop opened 2023 by longtime collector John Bruce, focused on jazz, blues, soul and rock with an in-store listening station.
3 sources
- Contact Records
Small record shop near Temescal, built out of a shipping container, focused on used vinyl.
1 source
- Dark Entries Records
Tenderloin storefront for the influential Dark Entries reissue label, opened 2022, stocking new wave, industrial, EBM and electronic vinyl from the label's catalog and beyond.
2 sources
- Dave's Record Shop
Independent used and specialty vinyl shop on San Pablo Avenue, open since 2010, also buying, selling, and trading cassettes.
1 source
- Discodelic
Mission District shop opened in 2023 by three DJ/collectors specializing in Latin American and Caribbean vinyl, including cumbia, salsa, boleros and Cuban music.
1 source
- Down Home Music Store
El Cerrito roots-music institution founded 1976 by Arhoolie Records' Chris Strachwitz as a brick-and-mortar outlet for blues, folk, Cajun, Tejano and world music from labels worldwide.
2 sources
- Econo Jam Records
Uptown Oakland shop opened in 2013 selling used and collectible vinyl and cassettes alongside new and vintage stereo equipment.
1 source
- Green Apple Books & Music
Richmond District bookstore founded in 1967 with a substantial new and used vinyl section inherited from its 1996 acquisition of neighboring Revolver Records.
1 source
- Groove Merchant Records
Lower Haight vinyl shop opened in 1990, specializing in rare funk, soul, jazz and breaks for DJs and collectors.
1 source
- Groove Yard
Jazz specialty record shop started in 1992 in Temescal; moved to its current Claremont Avenue location in 2004.
1 source
- Grooves
Vinyl-only shop on Market Street, an SF institution founded in the early 1990s and known for hard-to-find used records across rock, jazz and world music.
1 source
- Harlan Records
Downtown alley hideaway built on 'Listen More': Thorens turntable, McIntosh amp, JBL speakers, and 2,000+ records spanning 1950s jazz to '80s new wave.
2 sources
- Hercules Records
Independent record shop in Berkeley's historic Lorin district (Elmwood/Southside), stocking a curated mix of used vinyl and new releases from independent labels across genres.
2 sources
- I Hate Records
Nonprofit punk record store and DIY community space opened June 2025 by artists Cody Azumi and Pretty Sims in a former Haight Street laundromat; also home to local label FYJFY Records.
2 sources
- Kissakeko
400-square-foot, 6-8 seat Nob Hill jazz kissa pairing artisanal sake with vinyl-only jazz; the owner says they will never stream music.
2 sources
- Knight Sounds Entertainment
Mayfair district shop combining affordable used vinyl with DJ sound systems and equipment; owner Carlos Diaz, a DJ for over 35 years, specializes in freestyle, hip-hop and high-energy ("hi-NRG") records.
2 sources
- Loose Joints Records
Boutique curated vinyl shop on historic Highway 1 in Point Reyes Station, physically connected to the Old Western Saloon. Buys used records and collections.
2 sources
- Mars Record Shop
Piedmont Avenue record shop started by Steve Adams of the band ALO, specializing in local Bay Area artists and vintage vinyl.
1 source
- Mill Valley Music
Marin County's longest-running independent record store; new and used vinyl, CDs and DVDs plus posters, T-shirts and guitar strings.
2 sources
- Mission Synths
Mission District shop selling synthesizers, drum machines and music gear alongside a curated selection of new and used vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
1 source
- Moodswing
Alameda storefront and maker space selling vintage vinyl and functioning as headquarters of Time Released Sound, a boutique handcrafted limited-edition record label.
2 sources
- Needle to the Groove
Independent vinyl shop in downtown San Jose specializing in vintage used LPs and 45s across rock, jazz, R&B, Latin, and more; relocated to its current space in 2018.
1 source
- Noise
Richmond District record shop, art gallery and performance space specializing in used vinyl of all genres and eras; buys, trades and takes records on consignment.
2 sources
- On The Corner Music
Rose Garden neighborhood shop selling gently used vinyl and cassettes, with vintage hi-fi equipment available to test and purchase in-store.
1 source
- Open Mind Music
Rockridge neighborhood record shop with mostly new and used vinyl, occasional sidewalk concerts, and a curated selection of music-related gifts.
1 source
- Originals Vinyl
Brother-owned record shop at Hayes and Fillmore offering ultrasonic-cleaned used vinyl; started as a record-cleaning service in 2014.
1 source
- Out of Sight Records
Hidden below-street record shop tucked in a North Beach alley, run by David Tutton out of the Studio Fallout space; curated vinyl across genres alongside vintage clothing and home decor.
2 sources
- Phonobar
Hayes Valley audiophile lounge built around vinyl-only DJ sets, custom acoustic curtains and a tuned hi-fi system pushing deep house, disco and dance music at conversational volumes.
2 sources
- Rasputin Music Berkeley
Flagship location of the Bay Area's Rasputin Music chain, a large multi-floor store selling new and used vinyl, CDs, and media.
1 source
- Red Devil Records
San Rafael vinyl specialist since 2004 (originally Petaluma, 1998) — rare and hard-to-find LPs and 45s across rock, punk, jazz, blues, reggae, soul, folk and country; open daily.
5 sources
- Rocket Reuse
Family-run downtown Alameda buy/sell/trade shop opened 2010, with a strong secondhand vinyl and CD selection alongside used books, vintage clothing and games.
2 sources
- Rooky Ricardo's Records
Lower Haight soul and R&B specialist stocking an estimated 100,000 vintage 45 rpm singles and serving as a longtime hub for Bay Area DJs and musicians.
2 sources
- Side A
Mission bistro-meets-listening-bar with 1,000+ vinyl records, a brushed-aluminum DJ booth, and a custom hi-fi system; weekday morning coffee-and-vinyl sets.
2 sources
- Stranded Records
Vinyl-only record store curating new pressings and used records from overlooked and unusual artists, part of a small SF/Oakland chain founded in 2012.
1 source
- Stranded Records (SF)
Valencia Street shop in the Mission carrying new and used vinyl across rock, punk, soul, jazz and electronic genres, open daily.
1 source
- Streetlight Records
San Jose's longtime new-and-used record and CD store on South Bascom Avenue; the Streetlight chain marked its 50th anniversary in 2025.
1 source
- Strictly Vinyl Records
OSM lead verified: used and new vinyl shop in Albany curating rare jazz, blues, soul, rock, reggae and soundtracks. Buys, sells and trades.
2 sources
- The Music Store
West Portal neighborhood used-music shop with a deep stock of vinyl LPs and 7-inch singles at fair prices.
2 sources
- The Plastic Pancake
Small Mission District shop on the corner of Valencia and 21st buying and selling secondhand vinyl; opened by Chris Guttmacher, a former Amoeba Music buyer with prior record stores in Boston and Los Angeles.
2 sources
- The Record Man
Sprawling Redwood City vinyl and memorabilia shop on El Camino Real, part of a three-store complex with Planet Mix and the RecordMan Annex; an inventory reported in the hundreds of thousands of records.
2 sources
- Thrillhouse Records
Volunteer-run, not-for-profit DIY record store on Mission Street specializing in punk and underground music.
1 source
- Tunnel Records
Small Outer Sunset record shop founded in 2017 specializing in jazz, soul and rock vinyl, with a second listening-room location inside the 4 Star Theatre on Clement Street.
1 source
- Tunnel Records (4 Star Theatre)
Second Tunnel Records outpost, opened 2023 inside the historic 4 Star Theatre in the Richmond; rock, soul, reggae and jazz vinyl alongside the working single-screen cinema.
2 sources
- Vinyl Dreams
Lower Haight shop curated 'for DJs, by DJs' since 2013, focused on house, techno, disco, Balearic and club-culture 12-inch vinyl alongside secondhand rock, soul and hip-hop.
1 source
- Vinyl Solution Records
San Mateo record shop operating since 1984, stocking new and used vinyl, tapes, CDs and music equipment across genres for Peninsula collectors.
2 sources
- Watts Music
Marin County's oldest record store, open since 1979. A catalog store carrying vinyl, cassettes, CDs and 8-tracks, buying records seven days a week.
2 sources
See the full record store listing for San Francisco Bay Area, California.