The best record stores in New Orleans are a direct line into the only American city with its own music genre. Brass band, second line, bounce, jazz, funk, soul, zydeco, Cajun: every one of them pressed onto wax, stocked on shelves by shop owners who know the players, and organized by neighborhood instead of alphabetically when that makes more sense. The Crescent City punches well above its population weight for vinyl because the city punches above its weight for music, full stop.
This guide covers every serious independent brick-and-mortar record store in New Orleans with addresses, hours, specialties, and a one-day plan that lets you hit the four anchors without missing a meal on Frenchmen or Magazine. Every shop is locally owned. Most participate in Record Store Day. None are on Bourbon Street, which is exactly the point.
Louisiana Music Factory
Louisiana Music Factory
Phone: (504) 586-1094
Hours: Daily 11am-6pm
Web: louisianamusicfactory.com
If you only have time for one New Orleans record store, this is it. Louisiana Music Factory is 100% committed to the premise it is named for: this is a shop for Louisiana music. Brass band, zydeco, Cajun, jazz, R and B, blues, soul, funk, bounce, and every overlap of those genres that the state has produced. The wall of Rebirth, Hot 8, and Stooges pressings alone is worth the trip.
The shop is an anchor of Frenchmen Street, the most music-dense block in New Orleans and arguably the country. Free in-store performances happen regularly, especially on Saturdays, and the schedule is posted on the shop website and social. Walk in hungry for brass and leave with an armload.
What to dig for: every Louisiana genre, Jazz Fest posters, out-of-print Preservation Hall pressings, Mardi Gras Indian records, and the kind of regional comp you will not find in any other city.
Peaches Records
Peaches Records
Phone: (504) 282-3322
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-5pm
Web: peachesrecordsnola.com
Peaches Records is New Orleans itself, in a shop. It is the longest-running independent record store in the city and a Magazine Street institution that has hosted album release events for everyone from Lil Wayne to Big Freedia. The storefront alone is worth a photo. What is inside is worth the trip.
Peaches carries a little of everything with a strong lean into New Orleans artists, hip-hop, R and B, and soul. It is the shop where the release party actually happens when a NOLA artist drops a new record, which means Peaches-exclusive variants exist for collectors paying attention. The merch selection is also deep: Peaches shirts show up on touring crews as often as on locals.
What to dig for: New Orleans hip-hop across eras (Cash Money, No Limit, and beyond), local R and B reissues, Jazz Fest memorabilia, and the shop's own branded merch.
Find More Record Stores in Louisiana
Browse every independent record store we have mapped across the Pelican State.
Louisiana Record Store DirectoryEuclid Records New Orleans
Euclid Records New Orleans
Phone: (504) 947-4348
Hours: Daily 11am-6pm
Web: euclidnola.com
Euclid Records New Orleans is the Bywater outpost of Euclid's original St. Louis shop, and the NOLA location has its own personality: two floors, deep used stock, and the kind of staff who know what you are looking for before you do. It is the collector's shop on the list. The new releases are well-curated. The used wall is where Euclid earns its reputation.
The Bywater location matters. This is a residential neighborhood full of artists, musicians, and food that rivals anywhere in the city. Pair a Euclid visit with lunch at Bywater American Bistro, Bacchanal, or any of the neighborhood spots, and you have the best record store afternoon in the South.
What to dig for: jazz deep cuts, blues reissues, audiophile pressings, and a consistently strong used wall across every genre. Euclid also buys collections.
Domino Sound Record Shack
Domino Sound Record Shack
Phone: (504) 309-0871
Hours: Mon, Wed noon-6pm, Thu-Fri noon-7:30pm, Sat-Sun noon-6pm, closed Tue
Web: dominosoundrecords.com
Domino Sound is the specialist in the lineup. Located on Bayou Road in the Seventh Ward, Domino has built its reputation on global music, dub, reggae, African music, soul, and deeply curated 45s. This is the shop for anyone chasing a specific sound the other stores cannot quite match. Rare roots reggae. Out-of-print Afrobeat. Deep-catalog soul 45s. All of it.
A practical note: Domino Sound is cash-preferred, so hit the ATM before you go. The Bayou Road stretch around the shop has become one of the most interesting small-business corridors in New Orleans, with bookshops, coffee, and restaurants worth the extra time.
What to dig for: Jamaican 7 inch rarities, global music across continents, pristine 45s curation, and the occasional one-off from the owner's travel buying trips.
Also Worth a Stop
Beyond the four anchors, New Orleans has a handful of smaller shops that round out the scene:
- Sisters in Christ Records. A small, sharp shop in Uptown, roughly a block from Peaches. Curation-first with an emphasis on indie, DIY, and experimental.
- Skully'z Recordz. Bourbon Street adjacent, specialty in metal, punk, and hardcore. The exception that proves the "nothing on Bourbon" rule.
- Mushroom New Orleans. Near Tulane on Broadway Street. Cross-category shop that combines records with a small inventory of other goods. Popular with students.
- NOLA Mix Records. DJ-focused shop in the CBD. Dance music, electronic, and house catalog.
Worth the Drive
New Orleans sits at the intersection of several strong regional record scenes. If your trip allows a side quest:
- Baton Rouge, LA (1.5 hours northwest). College-town shops plus the Louisiana state-music archive at LSU.
- Lafayette, LA (2.5 hours west). The zydeco and Cajun music heartland. If Louisiana Music Factory whet the appetite, Lafayette is where the sound actually lives.
- Jackson, MS (3 hours north). Gateway to the Mississippi blues trail. Worth pairing with a drive through the Delta.
- Memphis, TN (6 hours north). The other pillar of American music. Shangri-La Records and Goner Records are both destinations on their own.
The One-Day NOLA Dig
The four anchor shops are spread across four neighborhoods but all within a 20 minute drive of each other. A realistic single-day plan:
- 10 a.m. (Sat) or 11 a.m. (other days). Peaches Records (Magazine Street, Uptown). Opens earliest. Budget an hour.
- 11:30 a.m. Drive to the Bywater (20 minutes). Park near 3301 Chartres.
- Noon. Euclid Records. 90 minutes. Take the time; the used wall earns it.
- 1:30 p.m. Lunch in the Bywater. Bacchanal, Bywater American Bistro, or Pizza Delicious.
- 3 p.m. Drive to Bayou Road (12 minutes). Domino Sound. 45 to 60 minutes.
- 4:30 p.m. Drive to Frenchmen (10 minutes). Louisiana Music Factory. 60 to 90 minutes, longer if there is a live performance scheduled.
- 6 p.m. Stay on Frenchmen. You are already there. Grab dinner at Dat Dog or Adolfo's and pick a brass band show at Spotted Cat or the Blue Nile.
Tips for Digging New Orleans
- Cash matters. Domino Sound is cash-preferred. Several smaller shops prefer cash too. Hit an ATM before you start the day.
- Summer is brutal. New Orleans summer is hot and humid. Spring, fall, and the week around Jazz Fest (late April, early May) are the best windows for a record day. Winters are mild and underrated.
- Jazz Fest adjacency. If you are in town for Jazz Fest, the shops near the Fairgrounds (Domino Sound, Louisiana Music Factory) run special events and keep extra stock of festival-related music.
- Record Store Day at Louisiana Music Factory and Peaches is a full event with live music. Worth planning an April trip around.
- Protect your haul. Hot car plus Louisiana summer equals warped vinyl by the time you make it home. Full storage guide here.
Browse the Full Directory
Every independent record store in the U.S., organized by state.
Record Store DirectoryGet More Record Store Guides
New Spin City city guides, featured shops, and vinyl news delivered to your inbox.
New Orleans Record Store FAQ
New Orleans is the only American city with its own genre. Go hear the wax.
