The best record stores in Singapore

Ronggeng Records is a crash course in music discovery. This treasure trove for crate diggers is packed floor-to-ceiling with vinyl, CDs, and cassettes. Owner Shahrem, a former musician, has filled the shop with decades of personal finds, including an impressive collection of rare Southeast Asian pressings from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia that are increasingly difficult to come by. Chances are, you'll leave not only with a record in hand, but also a few new artists to add to your rotation. Read our full feature of Ronggeng Records here. 

After building a cult following online and through its wildly popular pop-ups, Avant Culture Club has finally put down permanent roots at Pearl's Hill Terrace. Inside the cosy space, you'll find everything from chart-topping pop and hip-hop to cult soundtrack pressings, alongside coloured vinyl variants, hard-to-find imports and exclusive signed collectibles. Whether you're a seasoned collector or simply vinyl-curious, this is one rabbit hole you'll happily disappear into.

Opened by the team behind Hip Xiong Photo Studio upstairs, Analogue Anonymous is a newly opened café-meets-record nook that's got everything you’ll need to switch off for a while. A welcome escape from the daily hustle, the cosy space invites you to sip a coffee – or the delightfully unconventional Asam Man (a sour plum and calamansi drink made with pandan and oldenlandia water) – spin a few records from bands like Gorillaz, The Beatles, and Adele on the in-house turntable, and then browse vintage tees, indie fragrances, and art prints at your own pace.

Small in size, mighty in selection. Cherry Lane Records is a cosy Joo Chiat record store specialising in music from the '70s to the '90s, with shelves lined with pre-loved vinyl spanning classic rock, jazz, Asian gems and forgotten local releases. Open daily from 1pm to 9pm, it's also well-stocked with hot favourites, from 2000s emo staples like All Time Low to modern pop icons like Charli XCX, as well as rock legends such as Iron Maiden.

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. 

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.