6 Record Shops in Nottingham

A glorious and colorful store that’s hidden next to another one of Nottingham’s creative hotspots, the Malt Cross. Plates Records hosts a quaint shop and also manages to arrange some intimate and chilled-out gigs, all while you’re underground, nice and close to Notts’ cave system. Spookeh. You can’t go wrong with Plates; the community is friendly and they focus on keeping anything alive that inspires creativity, freedom and soul within music. They also hold regular sampling and beat-making workshops to get people going on the decks. Oh, and there’s also an open deck night. What’s not to like?

An obvious, if rather low-hanging choice. Situated on Broad Street, in Hockley, Rough Trade’s in a bob-on location, and the staff and selection of music makes it all worth it. And let’s be real, it fits in with the whole artsy scene of Hockley. Rough Trade has been open for a number of years in Notts now and brought some of the best tunes, live events, books, pints and nibbles we’ve ever had. Jack of all trades, master of none? Whatever. Rough Trade dips its toes all over the shop, and still manages to absolutely nail them down. They also have an alley-side street food vendor, which makes the most of the previously disused space.

Quite an old-fashioned music gaff that’s ridiculous when it comes to finding music. Records everywhere! Kind of reminds us of Primark if it had soul and some good music playing. Most bigger music stores have computers that help the sales assistants find the stock that’s almost definitely gather dust in the store room, Rob’s has Rob. This guy knows his tunes and exactly what he has in stock. It’s rather eerie to be honest. We suspect Rob might be some sort of all-knowing demon, or angel, of music. Hidden away down Hurts Yard, you wouldn’t see it unless you knew it was there. Or, if you accidentally come across it when you go for a haircut at Hairport. Mostly for older stock, but you can find some rare gems of tunage in here.

Another incredibly obvious choice, but there’s a reason that there are plenty of these bad boys scattered up and down the country. Following the trend of vinyl making its comeback like some badass mad villain, HMV expanded the collection of vinyl within the walls of Vic Centre and has made itself a viable option in in the music scene. Many a times have we been surprised with the collection of music and if something isn’t in store, they’re more than happy to order it in. A bit too mainstream, but sometimes there’s a reason something is popular. Stay away from the Pop Vinyl though. [Unless you’re Nusic’s Sam Nahirny - Ed] And the (unless you spend lots of money) the points card.

May as well be HMV, but they do have a slightly more eclectic selection of music, films and books than HMV. As usual, the staff are always helpful and it’s hard not to pick up a piece of literature while you’re grabbing a few cheeky vinyl on payday. FOPP also manages to keep a strong sense of personality with featured albums and films of the month, most of which are hand curated.

This beast feeds straight into the music scene by positioning itself right next to The Bodega; a prime venue for acts you might not be entirely familiar with. Our first independent entry is also one of Notts strongest. What makes it stand out is the sheer personality of the store and the owners; heavily in the know and deeply passionate about music, you’re almost bound to find something that spins you right round inside this hidden little gem. Stick your head in, spend a few quid and find something new for your collection. Their Record Store Day event is also quite dapper.


Are there any record shops in Notts that we need to know about? Gob off in the comments section below…