Melbourne just scored itself a new crown – and it’s not from the AFL.
According to For The Record, a brand-new research report commissioned by the Victorian Music Development Office, Melbourne now officially has more record stores per capita than any city on Earth. That’s right: your local Brunswick dig spot is part of a global phenomenon.
Melbourne boasts 5.9 record stores per 100,000 residents
The numbers are wild. Melbourne boasts 5.9 record stores per 100,000 residents, comfortably out-spinning Tokyo (2.3), Berlin (2.9) and even London (4.9). Even better? Victoria is home to 50% of Australia’s independent vinyl stores and 66% of the nation’s pressing plants, making the state the beating heart of the country’s wax economy.
And it’s not just about nostalgia or Instagram aesthetics – Melbourne record stores are doing the heavy lifting for Australian music. The report found that Victorian shops stock 25–50% Australian artists, a massive contrast to streaming services, where Aussie tracks make up just 8.4% of top-streamed songs.
While national vinyl sales climbed 5.6% to $44.5 million, Victoria’s store count surged 18% since 2023… but here’s the kicker: not a single store surveyed described itself as financially strong. It’s a boom that somehow still feels like survival mode.
Music Victoria CEO Fiona Duncan says vinyl is now central to how artists release music, not just a nice-to-have. “Physical sales aren’t just income; they’re strategic,” she explains, pointing out that strong vinyl numbers can literally push an artist up the charts.
Meanwhile, The Push CEO Kate Duncan highlights the growing role of record stores as cultural “third places”, especially as in-store gigs become safe, all-ages gateways into live music for young people priced out of traditional venues.
Of course, it’s not all rosy. Regional Victoria is still being left behind – with some areas having just one store per 150,000–200,000 people, compared to Melbourne’s one per 62,000 – and high setup costs ($50k–$75k) are keeping ownership frustratingly homogenous. Add rising vinyl prices and it’s easy to see why young fans are getting locked out of the scene.
Still, the message is loud and clear: buying local vinyl keeps the whole ecosystem alive – from pressing plants to shop owners to the artists themselves. So this festive season, skip the socks, hit your local indie, and wrap someone a slab of shiny black magic instead.
Not sure where to start? Find your friendly neighbourhood dig haven at recordstoreday.com.au – because apparently, the vinyl capital of the world is already in your backyard.
Further Reading
Melbourne to Attempt World’s Largest John Farnham Singalong
2018: Melbourne Is The Live Music Capital Of The World, New Census Finds
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source musicfeeds.com.au ’
