15+ The Best Record Stores in Montreal Updated 2022

The city of Montreal has a long history of music and record stores. Whether you’re a newbie to the scene or a seasoned collector, we’ve got the best places to buy vinyl, CDs, tapes, cassettes, LPs and more. 

Montreal has a lot to offer music lovers, with a wide variety of unique and authentic record stores.

With an extensive selection, a great ambiance, and some of the best prices in the city, there are lots of reasons to stop by for a browse and find something new. Here’s our list of the 15+ best record stores in Montreal.

To help you decide where to go, here are our picks for the best record stores in Montreal.

Best Record Stores in Montreal

Cheap Thrills

Address: 2044 Metcalfe St, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1X8, Canada
Phone: 514-844-8988

Cheap Thrills is Montreal’s oldest record shop, founded in 1971. The establishment is the last of its sort in the city’s central business district and is well worth the effort to locate.

Music lovers may find new and secondhand records, CDs and cassettes at an ancient home located just south of McGill University.

The second level of the building has a pair of rickety stairs leading to the treasure trove.

Most people know Gary Worsley as the business owner who owns Cheap Thrills, which is well renowned for its extensive collection of experimental music.

Alien8 Recordings, a Montreal-based label founded by Worsley in the early 1990s, was responsible for publishing a number of notable noise albums by artists including Keiji Haino, Merzbow, and Acid Mothers Temple in the ’90s, among others.

Cheap Thrills is home to over 10,000 albums at any given moment, including a well-curated soundtrack section, a regular supply of rock reissues, and a loaded collection of hip-hop favorites.

From Godspeed You! Black Emperor to Kid Koala, the walls of the Montreal institution are plastered with posters from former events.

Death of Vinyl

Address: 6442 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3C4, Canada
Phone: 514-495-2786

The demise of vinyl is a treasure trove for collectors.

The store, located right after the underpass that separates the Mile End neighborhood from Little Italy, is unquestionably Montreal’s one-stop shop for discount buys and house, techno and disco options.

More than only used turntables, cassette players and amplifiers may be found in crates and shelves full of used vinyl records in a wide spectrum of genres, from soca to crunk to old school hip-hop.

When Dan Hadley and Steve Ludvik opened their first shop in 2007, Death of Vinyl, they had no idea how big their collection of 50,000 records would grow.

It’s difficult to leave without purchasing anything from the store’s $2 cave of 5,000 CDs, which has a rotating local DJ set and comfy listening station corners throughout.

La Rama

Address: 77 Rue Bernard O, Montréal, QC H2T 2J9, Canada
Phone: 514-769-2966

Record shop La Rama has only been open for a few years in Montreal. In the midst of Death of Vinyl, Kris Guilty, a well-known local DJ, opened a new shop at the end of 2016 that offers a complementing variety of new and old titles.

In spite of the shop’s tiny size, it offers a regular supply of new albums from labels like Soundway and People’s Potential Unlimited in genres including house, disco, techno and jazz.

All around the United States, pickers and collectors alike are drawn to cassettes from local experimentalists and painstakingly selected dancefloor anthems by local artists.

Phonopolis

Address: 207 Rue Bernard O, Montréal, QC H2T 2K5, Canada
Phone: 514-270-4442

Phonopolis has been a Mile End institution during the last ten years.

It was formerly located in the heart of Montreal’s bagel sector, but since 2011 the store has been ensconced on the lovely avenue Bernard, which is just a few blocks from Drawn & Quarterly’s flagship location.

One of the shop’s original owners was British Columbian musician Nathan Gage, who has since been replaced as manager by Jordan Robson-Cramer, a member of bands such as Magic Weapon and Miracle Fortress.

Aside from fresh new music, Phonopolis is dedicated to promoting local musicians, which is reflected in the store’s elaborate window displays centered on individual releases.

Pitchfork favorites, rare curiosities, and a large variety of Quebec label options can be found in the brilliantly lighted shop.

Sonorama

Address: 260 Rue Bernard O, Montréal, QC H2V 1T4, Canada
Phone: 514-273-5553

Sonorama, a Mile End staple, is just a few blocks away from Phonopolis on Bernard.

It opened its doors in 2011 and is still relatively new to the Montreal record shop industry specializing on funk, R&B, soul, and disco.

Sonorama was founded by the founders of Primitive, a vinyl shop on Saint-Denis that became a cult favorite.

Second-hand recordings include a wide variety of reissues, obscure gems, and bins of cheap house and disco 12-inch singles. For fans of hip-hop, francophonie, and soul or funk 45s, here is the place to go.

Every time you walk into the shop, you’ll be greeted by a pleasant staff member who offers you an eclectic mix of music from behind the counter.

Atom Heart

Address: 364 Sherbrooke St E, Montreal, Quebec H2X 1E6, Canada
Phone: 514-843-8484

The online collection of Atom Heart, which specializes in alternative music, continues to grow. Indy rock, R&B and techno music are just few of the genres represented at atomheart.ca. Canada Post’s lowest shipping option is used.

Aux 33 Tours

Address: 1373 Mont-Royal Ave E, Montreal, Quebec H2J 1Y8, Canada
Phone: 514-524-7397

New and used albums from Mont-Royal East’s longstanding record business have been put online.

With a purchase of $60 or more, you’ll receive free shipping across Quebec. aux33tours.com is where you can find all of Aux 33 Tours’ offerings.

BBAM! Gallery

Address:  808 Atwater Ave, Montreal, Quebec H4C 2G9, Canada
Phone: 514-952-6190

On the phone or through Skype, BBAM! Gallery in St. Henri, Quebec, is offering “virtual record buying.” If you’d like to visit the store, you may call 514-952-6190 or send an email to [email protected]

Discs will be dropped off at a safe distance by a person who is present. At bbamgallery.com, you can learn more.

Beatnick

Address: 3770 Saint Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2W 2M1, Canada
Phone: 514-842-0664

BeatnickMusic.com, the long-standing St. Denis music store, is still accepting online orders. New inventory includes cassettes from Ariel Pink, Amber Arcades and the record label Night Time Stories.

L’Oblique

Address: 4333 Rivard St, Montreal, Quebec H2J 2M7, Canada
Phone: 514-499-1323

Orders and inquiries may be made by email, Facebook, and Instagram at the L’Oblique boutique. These systems allow customers to peruse their goods and make an order by e-mail or direct message.

Le Noise

Address: 151 Richelieu, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, J3B6X7
Phone: 450-741-4447

If you spend $80 or more, Le Noise will transport your order for free across Quebec. If you spend $99 or more, you’ll get free shipping to the rest of Canada. Visit lenoise.ca to find them.

Le Vacarme

Address: 6250 Rue St-Hubert, Montréal, QC H2S 2M2, Canada
Phone: 514-512-3377

Le Vacarme, a newer boutique in Rosemont-La Petite Patrie, continues to advertise their selection online, but purchases cannot be transported or picked up until May 4. Across Quebec, a $150 minimum order qualifies for free delivery.

There is a website for the shop at levacarme.com.

Les Bons Débarras

Address: 4646 Wellington St, Verdun, Quebec H4G 1W9, Canada
Phone:  514-379-1969

Les Bons Débarras, a Verdun record shop, has used Google Docs to list its vinyl collection. Inquiries can be sent to [email protected] or through Facebook’s direct messaging feature.

Marché du Disque Pincourt

Address: 101 Bd Cardinal Léger, Pincourt, QC J7V 3Y3, Canada
Phone:  514-425-1991

Off-island player has compiled an Excel spreadsheet containing the recordings they are offering online for sale .’s

Customers may place their orders by sending a Facebook direct message to the shop. Shipping is free on orders of $40 or more for Montreal residents.

Propagande Distribution + ID Shop

Address: 930 Boul. Industriel, Terrebonne, QC, J6Y 1X1, Canada
Online orders for Propagande Distribution and ID Shop in Terrebonne can still be placed. Propagandedistribution.com and idshop.ca are where you may find them.

Sound Central

Address: 4486 Coloniale Ave, Montreal, Quebec H2W 2C7, Canada
Phone:  514-393-4495

Sound Central, Coloniale Avenue’s internet store, is still open. At soundcentralstore.com, you may browse their inventory and place an order. Shipping is free for purchases over $50.

Best vinyl record stores in Montreal, QC, Canada

L’Échange

Address: 713 Mont-Royal Ave E, Montreal, Quebec H2J 1W7, Canada
Phone: 514-523-6389

L’Echange, which opened its doors in 2001, is one of the best-kept secrets in Montreal.

Located at the corner of Sainte Catherine and Fairmount streets on the fourth floor of an old building that’s easy to miss, L’Échange has over 10,000 records for sale. The collection may be small, but it’s exceptionally well thought out.

Genres are arranged artistically to make browsing an enjoyable experience, not a chore.

The shop includes jazz, funk and soul with hip-hop and reggae as well as rock music from indie rock to stoner metal; there is also a small section for soundtracks.

Venus Lounge Records

Address: 1600 deslorimier Local 107, Montreal, Quebec H2K 3W5, Canada
Phone: 438-336-6299

Venus Lounge Records opened in 2012 and is located on St Laurent Boulevard, one of the most popular streets in Montreal’s commercial heart.

The shop offers an extensive collection of new releases, including reissues of classic albums as well as vinyl figures with accessories like earbuds and t-shirts for purchase at the counter.

Venus Lounge has a section for all genres, though its focus is hip-hop.

Since the majority of records are used, prices are lower than at other shops in Montreal, making this one worth a detour next time you’re looking for the latest releases.

Conclusion

There are many record stores in Montreal and even all over the world, but they are not all good at what they do. You should go to these stores if you are looking for records or if you want to learn how to listen to them.

If you need to buy a specific record, you can use this list of the best record stores in Montreal. You can also download this PDF for free.

FAQ

Keywords:

record stores montreal,,montreal record stores,record stores near me,record store montreal,montreal record store,best record stores montreal,cheap thrills montreal,vinyl records montreal,montreal record shops,vinyl store montreal,record shops montreal,le noise st-jean,quebec record stores,music stores in montreal,music stores montreal,montreal music stores,record store near me,record shop montreal,phonopolis record store,vinyl shop montreal,montreal vinyl stores,sonorama montreal,record stores canada,used vinyl records montreal,marche du disque pincourt,hip hop record stores near me,best record shops near me,record shops near me,record stores quebec city,vinyl stores montreal,vinyl record store montreal,death of vinyl montreal,of montreal best album,cheap thrills records montreal,beatnick records montreal,best stores in montreal,atom heart montreal,turntables montreal,record stores in canada,best online record store canada,online record stores canada