Sustained by a buzzing DJ scene and a class of shop owners who know the city's scene well, South Florida's outstanding options for diggers and vinyl fans rival, and even surpass, those of bigger cities. Specialty shops for dance music, reggae, and high-quality vinyl can be found in Miami, along with multigenre and community-oriented spaces that understand the unifying power of music in a diverse city.
Here are the eight best record stores in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, in alphabetical order. Start digging!
Found Sound Records in North Miami offers a selection of expertly curated vinyl.
Photo by Douglas Markowitz
Found Sound Records
1654 NE 123rd St., North Miami786-360-4934
found-sound-records.comThere are certain rare, expensive records at this well-curated North Miami shop that we don't even want to mention — someone else might snap them up! Going on five years, the shop is stocked based on owner Rafael "Ralph" Pichardo's own predilections, saying, "My shop is my taste; I carry what I want." He's got excellent taste if that's the case. Among the racks, you'll find imported reissues of rare Japanese jazz; compilations of Nigerian Afrobeat; a first pressing of Air's Moon Safari; reissues of '90s bands like Nine Inch Nails, Limp Bizkit, and Everything but the Girl; and more. The shop's jazz, reggae, and new wave selections are excellent, and sections for folk and country, world music, and ambient and avant-garde music don't disappoint. Tuesday 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday through Saturday 1 to 7 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
Fruit Fly Records sells vintage audio equipment in addition to rare vinyl.
Photo by Douglas Markowitz
Fruit Fly Records
9830 SW 77th Ave., #135, Miami619-565-4262
instagram.com/fruitflyrecordsInside an office building down the street from Dadeland Mall is this specialty shop for audiophile-quality vinyl and equipment. Owner and Daft Punk superfan Giovanni Hanna, who daylights as a professor at the University of Miami, is a true stickler for quality, and some of his rare records are astronomically, yet not unreasonably priced. A few aren't even for sale, including rare records by Iraqi oud master Munir Bashir and the proudly displayed collection of singles from Daft Punk-owned labels Roulé and Crydamoure. Then again, there are also plenty of deals to be found. On a recent visit, New Times dug up classics from Stevie Wonder, Cerrone, and George Benson, all in near-mint condition, and the shop also has a decent amount of $5 records. Aside from funk, soul, hip-hop, disco, Latin, and jazz, there's a section for Middle Eastern music, from Lebanese diva Fairuz to the reissue label Habibi Funk, that outdoes anywhere else in town and is an outgrowth of Hanna's love for his homeland of Lebanon. Monday through Friday 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lucky Records
143 NW 23rd St., Miami833-735-5929
luckyrecordsmiami.comInside 1-800-Lucky in Wynwood, this tiny record shop/convenience store is no mere novelty. Hip-hop and its component genres — jazz, funk, disco, soul, and reggae — are the focus here, with recent releases, new pressings of classic records, and plenty of dollar-bin digs. A typical haul might include classic records from Herbie Hancock, Duran Duran, or Earth Wind & Fire. You might find a repressing of an underappreciated Nas album or a Kanye West project someone was too embarrassed to keep. Though the shop can be a bit cramped, the staff are friendly and the regulars are real as hell. Plus, you can grab some Pocky and Ramune on the way out. Daily noon to 10 p.m.
Even at its new location, Radio-Active remains one of the best places to shop for vinyl in South Florida.
Radio-Active Records photo
Radio-Active Records
5975 N. Federal Hwy., Ste. 130, Fort Lauderdale954-762-9488
radio-active-records.comThe only major issue with this music emporium is its location in the northern reaches of Broward County. Still, even if you think of the county line like the wall in Game of Thrones, making the trek up to Radio-Active Records in Fort Lauderdale is more than worth your while. Opened in 1995, the shop recently moved to a newer, bigger location on Federal Highway, and it's using the hell out of that added floor space. Every genre one would hope to find has at least one big bin to itself: reggae, blues, new wave, Miami bass, folk and country, world music, and more. Bigger genres like jazz get an entire wall, and the shop is so large they can easily sustain subsections for niche styles not seen elsewhere in South Florida, like trance, Florida breaks, Italo disco, shoegaze, and slowcore. Collectors of 45s will be amazed by the amount of seven-inch records on display, and there's an entire back room full of CDs. Plus, plenty of listening stations spread out across the store means no queuing to preview a record. Sometimes, bigger really is better. Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Sweat Records has called its space in Little Haiti home for nearly two decades.
Photo courtesy of Sweat Records
Sweat Records
5505 NE Second Ave., Miami786-693-9309
sweatrecordsmiami.comRecognizable for its iconic musical mural, which includes the likes of Grace Jones, MF Doom, and regular customer Iggy Pop, Sweat Records has been open at the same Little Haiti storefront for nearly 20 years and even outlived its beloved next-door neighbor, Churchill's Pub. Owner Lolo Reskin and her staff have made it as much a community space as it is a record store, with listening parties, trivia nights, and occasional performing gigs. It's one of the few shops in the city to have a loyalty program, too. But although the shop does stock used vinyl, new pressings of recent and reissued records are its bread and butter, and it's probably the most reliable in the city if you're looking for something specific — like that recently reissued Cocteau Twins album or Kali Uchi's latest album, or maybe even an import compilation of rare city pop. Sunday through Tuesday noon to 5 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday noon to 7 p.m.
T Bag Records recently relocated to III Points' old offices in downtown Miami.
Photo by Douglas Markowitz
T Bag Records
212 N. Miami Ave., Miamiinstagram.com/t_bag_records_miamiVisited by big-time DJs like Héctor Oaks and Ellen Allien, plenty of trial and error has gone into this dance music specialist shop owned by local DJ and nightlife fixture Taimur and his wife, Ostara. Previous iterations of the shop were hosted in Edgewater and Little Haiti, but its new digs in a downtown office space formerly used by III Points (some of the festival's posters were even left in place on the walls) might be the best iteration of the shop yet. The shop's stock of techno, house, rave, drum 'n' bass, and more club and dancefloor sounds is the deepest in town. It's the place to go for labels like Underground Resistance, L.I.E.S. Records, Tresor, and Dark Entries, and New Times encountered records by the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Jeff Mills, Donato Dozzy, Eris Drew, Joey Beltran, Chris and Cosey, Shinichi Atobe, Sven Väth, and the KLF in our most recent dig. In addition to records, the shop also hosts recording and podcasting studios. Oh, and if you're wondering about the odd hours, blame the shop's regular clientele — Miami dance music heads get up late, go out late, and apparently prefer to dig for records late, according to Taimur. Wednesday through Saturday 5 to 9 p.m. and by appointment only Monday and Tuesday.
Technique Records is more than just a record store; it stocks CDs, movies, and rare collectibles.
Technique Records photo
Technique Records
880 NE 79th St., Miami786-717-6622
techniquerecords.comRecords are just one component of what makes this Upper Eastside destination one of the city's best spots for music lovers, although it's not lacking in that department. Thanks to the diligent searching of owner Mikey Ramirez, Technique's new arrivals bins are always stocked with solid gold, and the walls are always lined with covetable rare pressings, from classic rock and world music to hip-hop and new pop releases. Alternative, new wave, punk, and metal are a big focus here, and so are house, techno, and dance music — including a huge section for Miami bass and breaks. The shop also stocks CDs and movies in all physical formats, and there's even a wall of rare issues of The Wire for true heads. But it's the people that really keep us coming back (and spending too much money on records). Famous musicians are often drawn to the shop, which recently hosted the likes of Thurston Moore and the Egyptian Lover during Miami Music Week, and regular events such as open decks and community musician panels hosted by Resident Advisor and WVUM have made the space a true third place for Miami music lovers of all stripes. Monday through Thursday 1 to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Yesterday & Today Records owner Evan Chern keeps his shop well stocked.
Yesterday & Today Records photo
Yesterday & Today Records
9274 SW 40th St., Miami305-554-1020
vintagerecords.comIn business for more than 40 years, this is the oldest record shop in Miami-Dade, and you can certainly get that feeling when you walk in the door at their lone remaining location out in Westchester. It's a bit cramped and, frankly, a bit musty inside — but with age comes experience, and the extensive music knowledge of owner Evan Chern remains unparalleled. Though there are extensive sections for blues, Latin, and "kool" jazz, rock is the key focus, and the incredible depth of the shop's stock of rare and classic psych, garage, and prog rock records is hard to beat. It also stocks new releases and observes events like Record Store Day, so there is no need to fear if you're looking for something a bit more current – it's called Yesterday and Today, remember? Tuesday through Thursday noon to 7 p.m., Friday noon to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4:30 p.m.
