Record Store Day 2024 in Scotland: When is it, shops, available records, how to buy, and can you buy online?

Vinyl is now outselling CDs for the first time in over 35 years – meaning that this year’s event celebrating the reinvigorated music medium is likely to be more popular than ever.

Kate Bush is this year's Record Store Day Ambassador.

Record Store Day has become a major event for vinyl lovers since the inaugural event in the US in 2007 sold barely more than 10 different limited edition pressings by artists including Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M. and Stephen Malkmus.

Now over 200 independent record stores across the UK take part each year, selling thousands of copies of exclusive vinyl, from new releases to old classics.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event.

When is Record Store Day 2024?

As was the case last year, Record Store Day will be running on a single day in 2024 – after moving to a system of two different days over the global pandemic in 2021 and 2022.

It will be happening on Saturday, April 20, with the majority of releases available from participating stores.

A global delay in vinyl manufacturing has meant that some records not not arrive in time for the big day in recent years – but everything seems to be currently on track for 2024.

Check the RSD2024 site for the latest information.

What records are available?

There will be several hundred limited edition pressings released on Record Store Day, including new vinyl from Olivia Rodrigo, Blur, Pearl Jam, The Weeknd, Catfish and the Bottlemen, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, David Byrne, Paramore, Kate Bush, Black Sabbath, Paul Weller, Gorillaz, Noah Khan, Pulp and The Verve.

Artists with Scottish connections releasing exclusive vinyl include Deacon Blue, Young Fathers, Trashcan Sinatras, Midge Ure, Mark Knopfler, Lulu, Garbage, and The Gentle Waves.

It should be noted that not all record shops will stock all titles, so a couple of shop visits may be required if there’s a less popular title you are keen to get your hands on.

Who are the Record Store Day ambassadors for 2024?

The last two years have seen global pop superstar Taylor Swift and alt-rock band The 1975 announced as official Record Store Day ambassador and this year British icon Kate Bush will be taking on the role.

It will see the singer release am exclusive 10” Record Store Day edition of Eat the Music - from her 1993 album The Red Shoes.

Kate said: “What a huge honour to have been asked to be Ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day. It really is a great privilege. Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the music industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!

“It’s been fun putting designs together for some of the previous RSDs. This year’s design echoes the cancelled release of Eat the Music as the first single from the album, The Red Shoes. The image was intended to be on the cover of the single bag and is now on the disc as a UV print.”

Can I buy records online?

Record Store Day shops are prohibited from reserving records for particular customers or offering records online on the day itself or for a week afterwards.

In short: to stand the best chance of getting any particular item you’ll need to physically attend the shop and probably queue (lines of people start appearing outside some shops the day before the event).

This year shops will be able to offer any unsold stock from 8pm on Monday, April 22.

What shops are taking part?

The full list of Record Store Day shops can be found here.

Glasgow shops include Love Music, Monorail Music, Mostly Vinyl Micky, Blitzkriegshop, Chameleon@Glasgow Audio, Strip Joint Records, Big Blue, Mixed Up Records, Assai Record and Some Great Reward.

In Edinburgh participating stores include VoxBox Music, Assai Records, Ilium, Avalanche Records, Thorne Records, and Underground Solu'shn.

Other Scottish shops include Low Port Music in Linlithgow, Europa Music in Stirling, Concorde Music in Perth, Le Freak Records in Dundee, Assai Records in Dundee, Thirteen Records in Dundee, Red Robin Records in Aberdeen, Chameleon in Aberdeen, and Mo Fidelity in Montrose.

How does the day work?

Queues will start to form outside most shops well before they open, so if there’s something you can’t stand to miss out on, the earlier you can get to the shop the better.

The majority of stores ask you to write out your wishlist while in the queue – so don’t forget a pen and paper – collecting it before you enter the shop and packing up your order so it is waiting for you at the counter.

This speeds up the process, while later in the day shoppers can flick through titles on the shop floor.

What else will be happening on the day?

Check your local shop's website to see what they have planned, but many will have special live performances, DJ sets and record signings to mark the day.