Discogs announces new directory of independent record stores around the world

Discogs is launching a directory of independent record shops around the world to coincide with next month’s inaugural Independent Record Store Month.

Following in the wake of last month’s Record Store Day, the new initiative hopes to highlight the importance of independent record shops and their contribution to music culture. Independent Record Store Month will take place annually each June in line with this.

In a press release, Discogs said it was launching Indepent Record Store Month as a means of helping stores in “seeking ways to continue thriving in the face of inflation, a global pandemic, and supply chain disruptions”.

As part of the initiative’s first edition, Discogs will launch The Store Explorer, an online directory highlighting brick-and-mortar record shops around the world, which will be updated all-year-round. Participating stores will also receive a digital badge that verifies sellers in the Discogs marketplace who work from a physical record shops.

Independent store owners will also receive access to an upcoming virtual conference for participating indie record store owners, with more details on that due to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Finally, Discogs will share a curated collection of stories from, and guides to, individual stores, profiling different shops in areas around the world to encourage people to visit and support them.

Over 4,000 indie record stores will be invited to participate. Those who want to get involved can register their interest here, while you can find out more about Independent Record Store Month here.

Last October, Discogs revealed that more than one million cassettes had been listed via the music marketplace for the first time.

A new 12-part online series launched earlier this year celebrated a number of UK-based independent record shops.