Started in 2007 to draw attention to independent businesses and encourage the resurgence of the vinyl industry, Record Store Day is an annual celebration that takes place during April, usually on the third Saturday of the month. Celebrated worldwide, it’s even been recognized as an official holiday by cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Charleston and Las Vegas. 

The thirteenth annual record store day had to be postponed due to COVID-19 and was pushed from April 19 to June 20, and again to Aug. 29. On Sept. 26 and Oct. 24, many record labels partnered up to send unreleased music to businesses that would be affected by the holiday’s postponement, increasing revenue but not solving the problem. Although a few people showed up despite the pandemic, many larger corporations took advantage of this opportunity to push people to purchase their records online. Despite the decline in cases of COVID in the past few years, online shopping has only grown in prevalence, leading to the downfall of many small businesses, especially those specializing in vinyl. 

This year I celebrated Record Store Day for the first time since the pandemic and was shocked by the lack of people present. I’m used to lines of people wrapped around the block, stores packed to the brim, and customers pushing others out of their way, but was instead met with an incredibly mediocre turnout. There was a line outside, and customers were given numbers that were called to limit the number of people in one space, but this was abandoned after less than 20 minutes due to the minimal amount of people in attendance. The lack of crowds was peaceful until I realized that the biggest day of the year for these shops had been more than halved, and the chaos might never return. 

With vinyl rising in popularity among generations who aren’t aware of the history behind independent record stores, the threat of extinction among these stores also rises. The cultural significance of these small businesses is more important than ever, and Record Store Day is the perfect opportunity to support them. I highly encourage anyone who enjoys collecting or listening to vinyl to explore their local record stores and add April 19 to your calendar for 2025 – even if you don’t, at least check it out for a new experience.