showa city club
Photograph: Cherry Chan
Photograph: Cherry Chan

The best vinyl stores in Hong Kong you need to visit right now

We round up Hong Kong's best places to get your dose of black gold

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Vinyl has been enjoying a resurgence for quite some time now, with seemingly everyone and his dog now owning a record player. Big record chains in cities across the globe are now dedicating an ever-growing area to what enthusiasts call ‘black gold’.

Here in Hong Kong, we have a fine selection of places where wax heads – and those who are new to the world of vinyl – can experience records, whether buying or just listening to their characteristically warm, rich sound through high-end sound systems. Whether planning to go digging in the crates or just looking for some artsy inspiration, here are some of our city’s very best record stores.

RECOMMENDED: Relax at one of Hong Kong’s best jazz venues.

Where to buy vinyl in Hong Kong

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  • Music and entertainment
  • Tsim Sha Tsui

The Listening Room is an Aussie owned record store and listening space based in Hong Kong. Most of the store’s stocks are second-hand vinyl, with a decent chunk of the collection coming from the store owners’ personal collections. Just like their name states, The Listening Room also houses a roomy listening space within their venue. The cosy room is a dedicated space to enjoy music, and have conversation with other sonophiles. Simply choose your desired record, place it on the record player, turn the needle, and chill out in utter bliss. 

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  • Vintage shops
  • Sham Shui Po

Like their name suggests, Showa City Club specialises in Japanese pop culture from the Showa era (1970s-1980s), which can be seen from their extensive collection of used vinyls and cassette tapes of citypop or old-school Japanese music; with artists like Mariya Takeuchi, Seiko Matsuda, Tatsuro Yamashita, and many more.

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  • Prince Edward

Step inside Infree Records’ space in Prince Edward to find a wide selection of CDs, vinyls, and casettes. This venue provides a wide span of music genres from local and international artists, such as blues, jazz, metal, and plenty more. If you’re just getting started into listening to vinyls and want to purchase your own setup, Infree Records also sells various turntables and maintenance accessories which will get you started. 

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  • Music and entertainment
  • Lamma Island

Who would have thought that a cool place like this would be in the outlying islands? Nestled between seafood diners and cafes is Lamma Vinyl Record Store, a used record store full of hidden gems. Aside from vinyl records, you can also find old CDs, DVDs, and even cassette tapes. Its owner, Ming, is more than happy to share the history and stories behind his collection of vinyls to any curious customers. If you’re looking to sell your records, Lamma Vinyl Record Store also allows customers to bring in their records and have them appraised.

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  • Music and entertainment
  • Central

Standing in a prime location just a few steps from the Mid-Levels escalators, this unassuming record shop prides itself on selling brand-new vinyl at very competitive prices. Although carrying a lot of mainstream pop, hip-hop, and rock, they do also cater to fans of jazz and funk. Head to their Facebook page to see their weekly updates on which vinyl records are available for pre-ordering.

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  • Yau Ma Tei

An audiophile’s oasis, Kubrick offers customers a relaxed listening space and cafe for those with an appreciation of an eclectic range of records. You can find a large selection of releases by Taiwanese and Chinese bands, so grab a coffee, drop by and drop a needle.

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  • Music and entertainment
  • Wan Chai

One of Hong Kong’s unique independent music and video shops, Rock Gallery has curated their music selection since 1984 from countries like the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Browse through an extensive collection of CDs and vinyl records ranging from  music genres like rock and roll, blues, jazz, and pop.

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  • Music and entertainment
  • Sham Shui Po

Tucked away in a Sham Shui Po residential building is the whopping treasure trove that is Ah Paul’s record collection. In a small, cosy space, Paul has stacked to the roof boxes upon boxes of records from vinyl’s heyday in the 70s and 80s, spanning all genres for the discerning ear. Rummage through his impressive collection and immerse yourself in a vinyl-lover’s paradise. For more information, check out our interview with Vinyl Hero owner Paul Au.

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  • Music and entertainment
  • Sham Shui Po

Are you a fan of obscure music? Check out White Noise Records, a local haven for quality alternative music and live performance events with a large indie following. You’re guaranteed to get lost in a world of addictive sounds, with gritty selections ranging from old soul to heavy metal and electro-pop.

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  • Music and entertainment
  • Mong Kok

Don’t overlook this quaint little shop in Mong Kok – it holds a reputable collection of both classic and modern musical favourites, with a focus on European indie music. Not only does this store sell popular records, but it also hosts live shows and music festivals, so you can see the music come to life.

More music

  • Music

Thanks to mega-popular groups like Mirror and Collar, Cantopop has been on the rise in Hong Kong. But aside from the pop genre, subcultures within Cantonese music have also been growing in popularity. If your go-to music playlist needs some updating, here are some of Hong Kong’s hottest underground artists that you should check out. 

RECOMMENDED: If you want to know more artists outside of Hong Kong, check out these songs that were featured in K-dramas!

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