Stopped by Mad City Music while visiting Wisconsin and really enjoyed browsing their collection. They have a solid variety of vinyl records, both vintage albums and newer pressings of old favorites, with prices that seemed very reasonable. One thing I particularly appreciated was the handwritten sticky notes on certain records. They include information about the pressing year, rarity, and other interesting details about the album. As someone who enjoys hunting for older pressings and unique labels, this is incredibly helpful and something I wish more record stores would do. It makes browsing feel a little more like treasure hunting! They also have two turntable listening stations, which is a great feature, especially when the store gets busy and you want to check out a record before purchasing. The store itself is on the smaller side compared to some other record shops I've visited. There's still plenty to look through, but don't expect endless rows of vinyl. What surprised me was their CD selection, which seemed just as extensive as their records. They also carry a smaller collection of cassette tapes, so there's a little something for everyone. Overall, Mad City Music is a great stop for music collectors. Reasonable prices, an interesting mix of older and newer releases, and those informative sticky notes really make the experience stand out. Definitely worth checking out if you're hunting for something unique in Madison! read more

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This music shop has a huge variety of CDs, tapes, and vinyl, as well as some music related movies & books. The prices are not bad and there are plenty of cheaper used options throughout, as well as more expensive special edition type items. The service was great, employees were friendly and the store is nicely organized. read more

This is an excellent record store. They have so much to look through. I am most impressed with their collection of used records. Every decade of music or genre is represented and the more you dig the more gems you'll find The people that work there are down to earth, knowledgeable and nice, and from the moment you meet them you know how passionate they are about music. They are very diligent in ordering records for you. There are tapes, CDs, records, books, magazines, 45s, 12 inch singles, collectible items, and a great collection of note worthy new arrival records displayed on the wall. In my opinion it is the best record store in Madison not just because of the store and stock but because they aren't money hungry and trying to rip you off. They have the fairest prices and I love that they understand the importance of taking out the record, looking at it, and playing it before you buy. The turntables they provide are very helpful. Highly recommended! read more

This place is great. Friendly, helpful staff. Wonderful selection and well organized. The prices for new vinyl were inline with anywhere else and used vinyl was ridiculously inexpensive. read more

Mad City has a great selection of LPs. I have found countless hard-to-find holy grails here & all for a very reasonable price. The other thing that makes this place the best in Madison is their very knowledgeable and courteous team. They never come across as rude music snobs, which is a common occurrence in music stores like theirs. No matter what format you are searching for, you can find it here. I personally have a vinyl addiction but they have everything else under the sun. This place has definitely been the highlight of my music search in Madison! read more

They have records and cds in all price ranges. Also a selection of harder to find records instore that they also post on discogs. I go for the jazz records and usually leave with several good finds. read more

Stopped in here while visiting my friend who lives in Madison... We had just eaten dinner next door when I spotted MadCity and went in. Great selection of new and used records... and the prices on used stuff were very good! I live in Atlanta and go record hunting all the time, so I know fair prices on the stuff you'd actually want. Snagged a copy of Bowie's 'Alladin Sane' for a good price and could've easily stayed in the store for longer, but we were on a tight schedule. Definitely stop in here on your trip to Madison! read more

This place is great! They have almost every new vinyl release that's on my radar and do a good job of cycling in interesting used stuff. Staff is friendly and helpful. My only complaint is the 7" selection almost on the floor and hard to dig through, but outside of that everything is organized and easy to access. read more

Best random unexpected picks you weren't expecting to see/find out about. Great selection and great prices

Best (new and used) vinyl selection in Madison -and prices that are reasonable. Sure don't have the amount of product that Strictly Dick's has on hand, but they do have a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Their new location is pretty nice as well. read more

I stopped by this shop today. They have great prices and a decent selection. Lots of 45's and CD's and lots of New LP's. They do have some used LP's, which are mostly rock. The shop has 2 turntables and a CD player where you can listen to your music before you buy it! The employees are also really friendly. I recommend checking out this shop if you are in the area. The prices are amazing! read more

This place has the best selection of music in the downtown radius. Scratch that, the best selection in Madison period. I don't mean the have the most music, just the best of the best. And their 50 cent-$1 vinyl selection is pretty fun to browse through. The owner seems like a pretty cool guy as well which is nice because he's honest and not always trying to sell me up on something unlike the creep at Strictly Discs. They have a convenient drop box for 4 Star Video too which is handy now that I live on Willy St. Hey kids, stop all the downloading! Support your local record shop. read more

Great selection of new stuff especially for Madison shops. Friendly staff and great placement in Atwood. Lacking original presses of popular acts, but make up for it with their CD and cassette game read more

Great vinyl selection. Decent used CD selection. Their new CD selection could use some work...or maybe I'm just picky because I'm a prog-rock fan and all I saw while I was there was stuff that I could pick up at Best Buy. The "music" they were playing on the store system the day I was there was some annoying-ass avant-garde experimental crap that gave me an immediate headache. Went in hoping to find stuff I couldn't find anywhere else...left disappointed. The Exclusive Company has a better CD selection. Go here only if you're looking for vinyl. read more

I love this store. You walk in, no one bothers you, skim through their selection, buy if you like it or just walk out if you didn't find what you were looking for. They have a limited amount of my genre of music that I like but that doesn't stop me going into this store once or twice a month to check if something new/used had come along. Two thumbs up. read more

While in Madison for a day, I needed to find two specific records....The Association and Sniff'n the Tears. I went to B-side but they didn't have used vinyl. So I checked out Madcity. As soon as I walked in the door I was greeted with a smile from the guy behind the counter(I soon found out he is the owner). I was left alone the whole time(which I prefer at record stores). I was very satisfied with their selection of used vinyl. Madcity is obviously aware that they are catering toward townies and students so they keep their prices appropriate. While I didn't find the two records I was looking for, I did walk away with three gems... Purple Rain by Prince for $3 Simon and Garfunkels greatest hits for $3 Kick by INXS for $2 This is a sweet store with a sweet owner. No pretention, no games. Just the way I like it. I even joined the Madcity facebook page...and I don't even live in Madison. read more

Came from Dallas, TX to check this place out. Found it on the Vinyl Hub. Great experience shopping at MadCity Music Exchange. Excellent selection. Great, friendly service. Thanks for the MadCity coffee mug!! read more

This place has it all. I have one rule when it comes to buying vinyl, no internet purchases. I can only buy from establishments where I can actually hold the record in my hand. I been searching far and wide in the desert of Tucson for some Sturgil Simpson vinyls, and I only had a limited amount of time in Madison. I had to pick one store. I hit the vinyl record jackpot. I searched for 20 minutes before I found all three of his albums sitting right there in front of me with his own labeled section and all. My long search had finally ended. MadCity Music ended a long ordeal in my search for all that is great this world. They also had another album that has been difficult to find back in Arizona. All in all, I was at ease. They have free posters that you can go through see if you see something you like. Solid. Solid Solid. MadCity Music, my first stop every time I come into Madison now. read more

I've checked out most record stores and this one is at the top of my list. I hate feeling pressured and judged when I shop for music and I've NEVER felt that way here like I do by the pretentious owner at Strictly Discs. The owner of Madcity is pretty chill and friendly, so I never feel intimidated. The selection of vinyl is pretty spectacular too, and at great prices. My favorite thing is their marketing (videos and such)...it's so cheesy and fun that I can tell what kind of environment they create for their customers, and it's very inviting. read more

I live in Chicago and I stopped in the morning after a show my band played in Madison. I can honestly say this place has the one of the best used sections I've encountered. Incredible selection of great records priced really fairly. These guys must be the kings of the estate sale. The pricing seems to be closely tied to the condition of the record (which is kind of refreshing), but even the $2 records were in fair shape. They also have a $1 section if you feel like talking a chance on something weird. Their new section has your standard reissues and newer releases. This place rules. Check it out, and give yourself at least an hour. read more

I've been a customer of this store for years. The best thing I love about this store is you can listen to the used CD's and LP's. I've found things I would never have bought, but after listening to samples of the CD or LP, picked it up. It also has worked in reverse, where I've listened to a CD or LP and decided not to buy it. They also buy used CD's and LP's. read more

It's a nice shop with an array of different selections and a very knowledgable staff of not only music for sale but the local venues

A great independent music store. Really good selection (plenty of obscure stuff). Lots of vinyl.

Totally impressed with MadCity Music! They really do have it all. There's a 50/50 mix of new and used vinyl which suits my music taste well. I was able to find a brand new release I wanted as well as a couple of used records at incredible prices. The layout makes perfect sense and everything is easy to find. The shop is really clean as well, which makes for a nice shopping experience. Looking forward to stopping again the next time I'm in Madison. read more

Friendlier than B-Side, less hip (in a good way) than Exclusive, Madcity is where the serious local music-makers (and -lovers) shop. The vinyl selection is AMAZING and the clerks are smart without being smart-ass. What you'll find: midwest artists' releases, new/used vinyl, new/used CDs, magazines, rare/collectible stuff, and a clerk or two with his finger literally on the pulse of the local rock scene. What you won't find: a clerk that will be willing to special order you the latest Steven Seagal country CD. (Come on, guys, I heard it was really good!) read more

5 stars! They are incredibly customer friendly, and price their vinyl extremely fair. Great place and extremely down to earth staff.

Madcity Music Exchange is a decent used record store. It's not very large but it does boast a hefty bargain bin (it's hard to beat 10 records for $5). I'm a hip-hop producer so I'm always digging for interesting albums across all genres. The bargain bin is pretty hit-or-miss in this regard. It's a lot of Barbara Streisand, obscure rock and jazz acts and 50's era sound tracks. Sometimes you'll find some funk or a gem or two but it's not the first store I go to when I want to dig bargain bins. Their other record sections cover the major genres (rock, jazz, soul, metal, hip hop) but the offering in each of these genres is pretty small. I couldn't find a number of well known jazz and soul artists anywhere. Prices aren't anything to write home about. If you're in the neighborhood and need to kill time, it's probably worth poking around the bargain bin. If you're looking to spend some time digging, go to Strictly Disks. read more

Great little record shop with used and new records. I usually only buy used and I have been impressed with their inventory, which is strong in rock and country. They also have a very good selection of the latest releases. Highly recommended. read more

This was the first record store on our Madison, Wisconsin vinyl picking trip. Parking here is a cinch compared to finding parking near that record store on State Street. MadCity has a pretty nice selection of new vinyl. Usually, however, I buy mostly used vinyl and there wasn't a great selection on this day. The prices seemed right on and I noticed that at least three of the Madison records stores have a similar selection of new vinyl at about the same prices. The guy manning the shop was helpful and it was nice to see the listening stations. If you collect new vinyl, this is a good spot to check out. read more

Wow, I can't believe I haven't reviewed MadCity yet. I've been to most of the music stores in town, and they're all pretty good (especially considering that in my neck of the woods now, my selection is limited), but I can confidently say that Madcity is the best. Madcity has a very good selection of vinyl albums, including 45s (which I almost never see anymore even in specialty music stores). There's also an extremely good collection of 60s CDs; most good record/CD shops have plenty of the familiar hit-makers like the Beatles, the Rollings Stones, the Byrds, various Motown artists, etc. How many of them carry music by obscure 60s bands such as Love, or The Gurus? Also, their selection of progressive rock (i.e. Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer) is very good as well. Contemporary stuff is in abundance here as well. If you live in the Madison area you absolutely must come here, and even if you are just visiting the area... you still pretty much need to make a stop here if you are a music enthusiast. read more

Love it! Tons of cool music, especially vinyl. One note of caution-always look at the disc in the dollar rack.. got a couple mis-matches recently. Nevertheless, it's my favorite Madison record store! read more