Musicland/Neon Music

Looking for second-hand CDs and vinyls? Musicland/Neon Music probably has the biggest collection in the city. Craving new releases? You can bet on it. Or do you want to get your hands on Record Store Day exclusives? Sure, Musicland will even organise special, acoustic concerts on that day. All of the Hungarian crate-diggers, vinyl-junkies and music fanatics know this place, as it is famous for it's special atmosphere (visiting it is like descending into a cave), reasonable prices and wide variety of releases - from post-punk to indie-pop, from hip-hop to hardcore. Also, if you can't find what you're looking for there's a good chance they will order it for you.

Address: 1077 Budapest, Almássy Square 8.
Open: Monday - Friday 11am - 7pm
Phone: +36 1 365 1929

Aktrecords

Aktrecords is mostly about vinyls and electronic dance music, be it techno, house, footwork, drum 'n' bass or something else. There are turntables in the store, so you have the chance to listen to the record before you buy. But apart from 4/4-based releases, they have some carefully selected rock, hip-hop and jazz records on sale too. They even sell clothes, caps and shoes from the following brands: Onitsuka Tiger, New Balance, Cheap Monday, Carhartt and Pinetime Clothing. What else could an electronic beast ask for?

Address: 1066 Budapest, Ó Street 35.
Open: Monday - Friday noon - 7pm, Saturday noon - 4pm

Deep Record Store

Deep Record Store is a lot like Aktrecords in the sense that it specialises in electronic dance music, but Deep Record Store also has a small number of well-chosen rock records. Although the prices are a bit higher than at the other shops, they compensate with special discounts and their staff - who literally know everything that is worth knowing about their records and genres they deal with. If you happen to be a DJ, don't miss out on this place; and if you are just a music fanatic – well, we still encourage you to drop by.

Address: 1062 Budapest, Aradi Street 22.
Open: Monday - Friday 11am - 7pm, Saturday noon - 4pm
Phone: +36 1 301 0591

Headbanger

The name says it all: Headbanger isn't the place where you can lay back and listen to some soft and melodic music - instead up the irons and bang your head! If you are looking for rock, metal or any kind of -core music this is your place: LPs, CDs, DVDs, tees, badges, hoodies, leggings, board-shorts, flags, books – all the things a real headbanger couldn't live without and much more. Some people say that it's more like a merchandise store than a record shop, but we disagree. Still, we have to admit that you might want look for more underground/extreme releases somewhere else. You can scroll through the online catalogue to see if they have what you want.

Address: 1053 Budapest, Múzeum Boulevard 17.
Open: Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm, Saturday 10am - 1pm
Phone: +36 20 321 0144

CD Pince

CD Pince seems to be the younger brother of Headbanger's: a shop dedicated to rock 'n' roll and metal, with CDs, LPs, tees, hoodies and other kind of merchandise. Their selection is a bit more diverse, compared to Headbanger's. Running through their CDs (which are sold for a really reasonable price) you can find records that have nothing to do with guitars and sweaty crowds. Unfortunately, the same doesn't apply to their vinyls: they are mostly rock/metal and are a little bit expensive. CD Pince also sells tickets for many rock 'n' roll concerts that take place in Budapest – don't hesitate to ask their staff about that.

Address: 1073 Budapest, Erzsébet boulevard 41.
Open: Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm, Saturday 10am - 3pm
Phone: +36 1 351 9503

Wave

If you only have time to visit one record store, go to Wave. Wave is one of the longest functioning music suppliers in Budapest. Although alternative, indie rock is their main profile, you can find everything from jazz to hip-hop and dubstep to folk. They have a huge collection of both CDs and LPs, regularly offer discounts and just like Musicland, they are official partners of the Record Store Day meaning they also receive special releases and host concerts. These take place on the third Saturday of April. Make sure to pay a visit - and don't leave the place empty-handed.

Address: 1065 Budapest, Révay Köz 1.
Open: Monday - Friday 11am - 7pm, Saturday 11am - 3pm
Phone: +36 1 269 0754

Newport Records

Newport Records is a nice, welcoming hideaway where you'll bump into vinyls, no matter where you turn. The main profile is jazz and blues, but they also have an impressive collection of beat and classic rock releases. You can also buy second-hand vinyls for a really fair price, and the place might have the largest collection of French records in the country and surely of the city. Also, you can bring your vinyl for a wash and cleaning – they know what to do, and you'll be surprised how much better your records will sound afterwards.

Address: 1061 Budapest, Teréz Körút 8.
Open: Monday - Friday 2pm - 6pm
Phone: +36 70 552 1502

Metro-nóm Record Store

We've discussed record stores that have specialised in a given genre, like electronic dance music, rock 'n' roll, jazz, but what else is there? Yes, we forgot about; synthpop, goth, darkwave and bands that play this kind of music. If you are a fan of, let's say, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Front Line Assembly or Nitzer Ebb, Metro-nóm is your place. They sell CDs, LPs, posters, books (most of them in Hungarian), tees – all for a reasonable price. Don't forget to dress in black before going there.

Address: 1132 Budapest, Kresz Géza Street 11.
Phone: +36 1 329 2541

Rockin' Box Store

Rockin' Box is the oldest functioning record store in Budapest – although it has only been at it's current location for fifteen years. If you are looking for a Hungarian record, you should try to find it here before going anywhere else, as they have almost all of them: both CDs and LPs. If you are into 50s / 60s rock 'n' roll, doo woop and beat, this place will be a treasure chest for you - it's full of rarities. And let's not forget about how welcoming this place is: be prepare to spend more time here than you had planned.

Address: 1212 Budapest, Paulay Ede Street 8.
Open: Monday noon - 6pm, Tuesday - Friday 10am - 6pm
Phone: +36 1 277 7428

Published on XpatLoop.com with the permission of We Love Budapest