The best vinyl record stores in Montréal for music lovers
Put simply, Montréal’s music scene is unlike any other, with releases from indie stars like Angine de Poitrine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Kaytranada and Cindy Lee spinning on record players around the world. And that local love of music brings with it a collector’s paradise of record shops, each stuffed to the brim with stacks of wax and collectibles to suit any taste. Here’s where to find Montréal’s best vinyl shops in the city’s coolest neighbourhoods—and what makes them all uniquely special.
Plateau-Mont-Royal
With some of Montréal’s most photogenic streets and iconic music venues, the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood is a hot-spot of some of the city’s most well-stocked record shops.
Aux 33 Tours
Where: 1373 Mont-Royal Avenue East
What: Aux 33 Tours is Montréal’s biggest record store, stocked with all the latest releases, limited editions galore and curated staff picks. The well-stocked used selection turns over quickly and is consistently full of surprises, with over 70,000 sold there every 365 days. Their annual warehouse sales are stocked with thousands of records, full of happy collectors carting armloads of finds back home to their turntables—if your player needs a tune-up, their expert repair team has got you covered. The shop is also set to open another location on Mont-Royal Avenue, Aux 33 Tours : L’Annexe to expand their offerings into CDs, collectibles and graphic novels.
L’Oblique
Where: 4333 Rivard Street
What: Since 1987, L’Oblique has represented the particular tastes of its founder Luc Bérard, showcasing Montréal bands featuring a rack of releases by the legendary Constellation Records taking pride of place on the shop floor. The carefully-curated selection holds long sought-for rarities, so it’s well worth digging through the racks. L’Oblique also offers vintage stereo equipment and repairs.
Le Nouveau Soundcentral
Where: 4486 Coloniale Avenue
What: A veritable history of DIY punk, metal and indie rock lines the shelves of this local stalwart, with selections available on vinyl, CD and cassette. The small café provides caffeine recharges to keep fingers flipping, and the selection of fanzines and books is always worth a look.
Freeson Rock
Where: 1477 Mont-Royal Avenue East
What: Freeson Rock specializes in hard rock, with one of Montréal’s biggest selections of heavy metal and posters in advance of upcoming shows in the entrance. But their stock also includes a wealth of new releases, classic rock and even the latest pop hits.
Paul’s Boutique
Where: 112 Mont-Royal Avenue East
What: The brightly-painted Paul’s Boutique takes its name from the classic Beastie Boys album, and like that record’s dizzying mix of samples and sound collage, the wealth of choice records here is worth dedicating some time to. Check the shop’s live in-store videos for some great performances.
Sonik Records
Where: 4050 Berri Street
What: Specializing in punk and alternative (along with so much else), Sonik Records is a go-to local favourite for rare finds, many taking pride of place on the mounted wall racks. Ask the staff for recommendations and take home your new favourite record, or what tickets they’ve got available for upcoming shows you won’t want to miss.
Le Pick Up
Where: 169 Pins Avenue East
What: Buying and selling used records on a variety of formats—even 8-track—Le Pick Up is a neighbourhood record shop with a clear love of genres from psychobilly to disco. A selection of books make for the perfect accompaniment to your newest addition to your vinyl, CD or cassette collection.
L’Échange
Where: 713 Mont-Royal Avenue East
What: Alongside a large used book collection, L’Échange’s used vinyl and CD sections are stuffed with popular classics and blink-and-you’ll-miss-them rarities. And when you’re ready to offload some of your collection, L’Échange always offers a fair price.
Disques Beatnick
Where: 3770 Saint-Denis Street
What: Disques Beatnick’s selection of vinyl, CDs and cassettes—both new and used—carry a particular focus on classic rock and must-listens across multiple genres and eras. It’s the perfect spot for a beginner collector or a more experienced crate-digger looking to fill in some gaps.
Atom Heart
Where: 364 Sherbrooke Street East
What: The best record shops are those where the staff behind the counter are just as excited about music as the customers, and Atom Heart’s Soundcloud page shows off a love of music both old and new. Focusing on electronic music and indie rock, Atom Heart’s physical location and mail order operations have been bringing music to Montrealers and beyond for over 25 years.
OSMO X MARUSAN Café-Terrasse
Where: 51 Sherbrooke Street West
What: More than a Japanese-inspired café and workspace, OSMO X MARUSAN’s vinyl selection rests on the cutting-edge. Bonus points for their regularly-scheduled DJs who fill the room with music after workday hours end. It’s the perfect place to discover the latest trendsetter, along with a tasty snack and beverage.
Mile End
Brought to the silver screen in the film Mile End Kicks, the Mile End neighbourhood is home base to many of Montréal’s creative class, and some of its coolest record shops too.
Phonopolis
Where: 207 Bernard Avenue West
What: Founded and staffed by local musicians, Phonopolis is the definition of a neighbourhood record store. The shop’s links to the local scene—check their entry on Never Apart’s series on Montréal record shop histories—makes it no surprise to recognizable local musicians browsing the racks. The shop’s video series The Phonopolist sees acts like Cœur de Pirate, SUUNS and Yamantaka // Sonic Titan bigging up their favourite records off the walls, and the staff picks chalkboard should always be trusted for its esoteric lists of records you need in your life now.
Sonorama
Where: 260 Bernard Avenue West
What: With a carefully-picked selection of classics on offer, Sonorama’s shelves are the perfect place to fill the holes in your collection. From special edition re-presses to rare originals, there’s always sweet finds to be had. The shop’s Discogs page is also worth a look at some of the rarer pieces in-stock too.
La Rama Records
Where: 77 Bernard Street West
What: Electronic and hip-hop music fans are sure to find what they’re after at La Rama, with an extensive 7” singles section, the latest dancefloor fillers on 12” and white label pressings, as well as local and Canadiana selections on-hand. Bonus points for their line of shop T-shirts.
Little Italy
Little Italy is stuffed with unbeatable gourmet delights, perfect for fueling up before a deep dive into the record bins.
Death of Vinyl
Where: 6442 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
What: The bins at Death of Vinyl are always worth a look, and the lists of new arrivals published on their website show off a surprising range from German synth soundtracks to jazz classics. Pop and hip-hop fans will love the selection of 12” singles, priced dirt cheap and full of big hits and forgotten gems.
Downtown
Nestled amongst the skyscrapers and museums, Montréal’s Downtown core also features some of the city’s best shopping, including one of the oldest record stores in town.
Cheap Thrills
Where: 2044 Metcalfe Street
What: Established in 1971, Cheap Thrills is Montréal’s oldest running record shop and their online mail order catalogue offers over 10,000 titles. It’s easy to lose an afternoon browsing the crates of new and used records and books, and what the shop lacks in size, it makes up for in selection. The staff behind the counter are also some of the city’s most knowledgeable.
Rosemont—La-Petite-Patrie
One of Montréal’s biggest central neighbourhoods, Rosemont—La-Petite-Patrie is worth exploring, from its epic parks to one-of-a-kind boutiques.
180g
Where: 5866 de Lorimier Avenue
What: 180g’s tagline “Come for the coffee… stay for the records,” sums up what they do so well. Combining a stylish minimalist, well-stocked café with a great selection of electronic, hip-hop, classic and new indie vinyl creates a perfect union of two of Montréal’s favourite activities—coffee and records. It’s also a great spot to catch sets by local DJ talent too.
Le Vacarme
Where: 6250 Saint-Hubert Street
What: Nestled in the Plaza Saint-Hubert shopping district, Le Vacarme is one of those expertly curated and arranged vinyl shops that’s impossible to leave without an armful of records. Their website also lists their regularly stock and prices, including new releases.
Victor Victor Victor
Where: 6658 Papineau Avenue
What: Victor Victor Victor not only carries some of the latest most sought-after records, but also specializes in cassettes, books, comics and movies. And once you’re done browsing the racks, the in-house café is the perfect spot to rest after a day of record hunting.
CD Échange Musique
Where: 1317 Bélanger Street
What: CD Échange has long offered a wide selection of used CDs and records, always worth a look through. It’s the kind of record shop where you’ll never know what you’ll find, from a nostalgic favourite to an underground rarity.
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Known to locals as simply “NDG,” while this West End neighbourhood is less visited by tourists, its shops and cafés are some of Montréal’s most unique.
Encore Books & Records
Where: 5670 Sherbrooke Street West
What: Family-run, Encore Books & Records offers one of the city’s best used record selections, alongside thousands of pre-loved books and other collectibles. They’ve also been producing prints that look great on any wall since 2014 via their in-house design studio.
Mark Hamilton
Mark Hamilton is the community director for QueerMTL, a musician in the projects Woodpigeon, Frontperson and Brittle Dreams and a curator and historian specializing in LGBTQ+ activism and zinemaking. He’s lived in Montréal since 2015, during which time he’s most often spotted atop a BIXI bike usally running a few minutes late.