The best record stores in Singapore

You’ll hear Musicology Records before you even see it. Walking down Haji Lane, find your way to it by simply following the music. This vinyl record store carries a wide range of genres, from the classics, to rock, city pop, and even one for Santa with a curated selection of Christmas records. Turntables are up for sale as well. And if you’re looking for more than just a shopping experience, be sure to attend their occasional spin sesh where invited DJs take the wheel to guarantee you a good time. 

The brainchild of DJ collective Matteblacc, this music space is more than meets the eye. Besides offering stacks of records for music aficionados to browse through, the laidback store also invites customers to enjoy a cuppa specialty joe and craft beers as well as all-day breakfast bites such as smoked salmon bagel and smashed avocado toast – all while copping merch and accessories from your favourite artists, bands, and cult streetwear brands. If it's anything like it was pre-circuit breaker, you'll likely find impromptu vinyl jam sessions when restrictions have eased.

An audiophile's paradise, the Analog Vault is a cave of vinyl, turntables, and other music merchandise, as well as indie hardback and paperback titles for a good read. Similar to its online store, the Esplanade brick-and-mortar carries records in mono and stereo, as well as box sets, limited editions, and 7' singles by artists from a plethora of genres. But what sets this record store apart from others is its independent record label TAV Records, so don't be surprised to find LPs of local bands hidden amongst the many international titles.

A vast, curated selection of second-hand records line the walls of this tiny shop. Thanks to owner Nick Tan, most of the stuff here is decidedly cool – we dug up a 1996 reissue of A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory and a limited-edition release of Portishead’s Third, for example. And here’s a tip: sign up for Tan’s monthly newsletter for updates on the crates he hauls back from Japan, the UK and the US.

Run by a husband-wife duo, Mosta Records LP stands out among other record stores in Singapore as the authorised dealer and distribution for Jack White's (of The White Stripes) Third Man Records, as well as other record labels including its own. But beyond the blues, the store also carries a plethora of other genres through new and pre-loved vinyl. And if you're in need of a new set-up, you'll be happy to know that it's also the authorised dealer of Audio Technica turntables and accessories.

This isn't your average record store – The Barbershop Music also doubles as a, well, barbershop as The Panic Room. Besides executing edgy hairdos for its creative and hipster clientele, it offers music lovers new and used wax singles and LPs, as well as 45rpm records. With the crew's impeccable taste in music, you can expect plenty of funk grooves, bluesy rock, and hip-hop beats. Need a new hairdo and record? Get the best of both worlds at The Barbershop Music.

A stone's throw away from Choice Cuts Goods + Coffee's new sweet digs, Retrocrates is the ideal place for music-lovers to relax, unwind, and crate-dig in a leisurely manner for all genres of music, old and new. The independent record store offers a range of turntables as well as a large library of new and pre-loved vinyl records for sale. The second-floor shop house, complete with sofas, cushions, and rugs, allows for customers to get comfortable and immerse themselves in the music. 

Besides boasting a wide range of musical instruments, accessories, and DJ gear from well-known brands such as Fender, Gibson, and Marshall, the massive Swee Lee also carries a range of turntables and records suited for budding audiophiles or seasoned needle-droppers. Look forward to shelves filled with records from top hits to deep cuts. There are also in-store stations for you to sample those records. If all those crate-digging got you feeling tired, refuel at the Swee Lee Social Club, a casual hangout space for music lovers to chat over coffee by Common Man Coffee Roasters and desserts. 

It’s a crate-digger’s wonderland – more than 10,000 vintage vinyl stack up at this out-of-the-way joint. Red Point is known among music geeks for its varied selection – you’ll find records from ’50s Chinese divas to the golden age of rock ’n’ roll to contemporary indie to bygone Singaporean hits. There’s no question here: if you own a player, you owe it to yourself to check out Red Point.

If you think the vinyl resurgence is only for the hipsters, here’s a store that doesn’t give a damn – pardon our French – about Kamasi Washington's ascent to stardom. This is for metalheads only. Besides LP reissues of iconic albums from the likes of Bathory and Emperor, Ravage Records stocks CDs of underground acts and all sorts of black-clad merch.

First, a warning: it’s incredibly tough to look through the stacks upon stacks of vintage records in this hole-in-the-wall. It’s haphazard, claustrophobic, and albums aren’t sorted by any reasonable order here. But when you do find a diamond in the mess of rock, jazz, blues, and soul releases, they’re relatively less expensive than other stores. We picked out an (admittedly weathered) Aussie first-press of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here for a mere $10 – can’t beat that.