I love shopping for vinyl, mostly because it feels like a treasure hunt, with the reward being some of your favorite music in physical form. Whenever I'm in Rochester, I make sure to stop here to get my fix. It is HUGE. You could easily spend a long chunk of time here perusing through their collection of records. But that's not all they have. They've got CDs, movies, books, vintage clothing, posters, and lots of great "gift" type items. They even have a little bar area that serves as a venue for musicians to play. The inside is quirky and everything I love to see in a record store. I really resonate with the posters they have hanging and all the random decor they have throughout the shop. The staff is super friendly and eager to help if you're looking for something specific, which is a plus since there's so much terrain to cover. Record Archive is definitely what I'd consider a top tier record shop. read more

Record Archive - Inside! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

So after living here what feels like forever, I FINALLY made it to Record Archive. This place is massive. In the back, there's a cool space where they host live concerts and yes, you can grab a libation while you enjoy the music. Cheers to that. The selection? Ridiculous (in the best way). Vinyl and CDs from just about every artist on the planet. They'll even buy your old music. You'll also find some local goods, and the moment you walk in, you're hit with the comforting smell of incense. It's a vibe! The staff? Helpful, friendly, and chill and zero snobbery. It honestly reminds me of Wax Trax and Vintage Vinyl in Chicago... but way bigger. I'll be back. read more

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Huge selection of both new and used music (cd's, vinyl, and even cassettes). Very well organized making things easy to find. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and plenty of parking available. I felt that what I looked at was fairly priced. Can't wait to go back. read more

I cannot begin to describe how cool record archive is. You have to see it in person to experience the vast size of this place and the amount of media it contains. If you're looking for a record, it's here. There's sections for $1 and $5 records too with some hidden gems. They also carry plenty of VHS tapes and CDs. The stickers and knick knacks on the way out and in always catch my eye too. One of the best parts of this place is the bar in the back with room for live shows. They only serve wine and beer, but I did try an agave drink that was very light and refreshing. Truly the coolest place in Rochester read more

Record Archive - Bar area - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

Cool store. New vinyl, old vinyl, used CDs, cassettes and yes 8 track tapes and VCR tapes for you who have eschewed post Cold War technology. There is a bar area and live music events. You could spend hours here and for one who grew up thumbing through albums in the 70s and 80s, it's a Deja Vu all over again experience! read more

The Record Archive is a music junkie's happy place! They have so much new and used music across all of the major formats, specifically I saw new and used tapes, CDs, vinyl, even reel to reels and laserdiscs! Lots of other pop-culture things for those more inclined to that with movie and tv show merch there too. There is a hardware area with turntables, receivers, amps, and speakers. They even have vintage lights! I snagged a Technics 1200 mk2 for less than eBay, and they service equipment there too. An area I didn't even experience (but looks awesome!) is the stage in the back, which they have shows frequently. I love far enough away that I couldn't pop in for a gig, but it looks awesome. The store buys used CDs and vinyl, although keep in mind this is a store and not a collector, so keep those $100 records to yourself because you won't get max value. I've stopped in and traded in records twice and the in store credit (or cash) they provide seems to vary based on who is checking. My last trip was a bit underwhelming but those records I brought are better served on someone else's shelves than collecting dust on mine, so no complaints. Overall this place is great and it's worth the drive if you aren't close, and if you are.. lucky you!! read more

Rochester has two of the better used vinyl shoppes I've been to on the Eastern Seaboard (the other is the House of Guitars on Titus Ave...which besides the instrument division has a great used record/tape/cd shoppe). I found Bob Seger's "Back In 72" album here... for Seger fans, you know how rare that one is. I paid a fair price for it (vinyl isn't cheap now that the freckle faced youth/hipsters have taken a liking to it)...but what a fun store and very knowledgeable music heads. Pins, t-shirts, and other fun accessories as well. read more

Still the best adult hangout in town - great live music... good drinks and fun shopping all under one roof read more

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A Rochester staple for so many years! This place is one of a kind. Not just a record store...you can spend hours here sorting through cds, dvds and yes vinyl. If they don't have something they will order it for you too! Also, a great selection of small toys, collectibles and clothes. Great place to find unique gifts. If you need any assistance ask the super friendly staff. My favorite area is their live music lounge area. Smaller cozy room with a great little bar. They offer some food items too. Perfect for enjoying the music. read more

Record Archive - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

An herbed (spicy) cider. Nice! Awesome selection of beer on tap and otherwise. One cider draft and a selection of ciders in the cooler. Of course, you should also checked out the records. read more

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I haven't been in Rochester, NY for a few years and miss visiting Record Archive "live and in person". Their selection of records and cd's are unbelievable. But I do follow them on social media, so when Record Store Day 2023 rolled around last week and I couldn't find Mary Lee Kortes - The Songs of Beulah Rowley, my first call was Record Archive.I spoke with Ryan who took the time to check stock for me and process my order to be shipped to me. Thank you Ryan for your kind, considerate customer service in helping me out. Record Archive will be my first stop when I return to Rochester, NY! read more

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This place is absolutely huge and definitely has legendary status for a reason. There is so much to look through so plan on spending a lot of time. Every kind of genre under the sun. New and old records. Definitely worth a stop. read more

I've been coming to Record Archive for years, now visit less frequently and for a much shorter duration. Why? This place has lots of records, and some gems I've found over the years, but they are so tightly jammed that you can't flip through them, and the top racks are too high- I'm tall and struggle to see what's there. And the wall of records along the back? I just can't bother anymore. I just give up because the vinyl section is so frustrating. Now, if you're into CDs, easy to flip through. I really think some reworking needs to be done here. read more

How lucky are we to have a spot like Record Archive in Rochester? I can't say I am much a vinyl fanatic, but I love stopping into Rocord Archive for a drink in the backroom, a CD from my high school days, or just to walk around and meet an awesome and helpful music community. The backroom really is incredible, and can be rented our for parties, press announcements - I even organized a play reading there where folks could order from the bar and enjoy the reading in a unique environment. They have every kind of genre and more vinyl than you could ever imagine. I like taking a look through their discount racks and seeing what surprise gems I find. Record Store Day is an annual celebration each summer and Record Archive does it up BIG. I love their location and the staff is always super helpful. I highly recommend this spot for both locals and visitors alike. read more

This place is such a vibe! I love the back room lounge, as well. Nice selection of new and used audio media, and really nice peeps working here as well. read more

Great music great prices and the owners are cool too. I recommend going to some of their live event nights. Tip: get there early bc seats fill up fast so you may have to stand which is okay too read more

Been there several times both to buy and to sell. We have already been treated kindly and in timely manner. This keeps us coming back along with wide selection and very fair prices. If they don't have it, you probably don't need it! read more

Record Archive is a great resource with a ton of space, and a vast and awesome collection of material. They have a pretty wide assortment of CDs, tapes and vinyl (many genres are represented, including pop, rap, folk, country, jazz, blues, world and more, although the selection does lean more towards heavier rock and punk), as well as many other things, such as DVDs, T-shirts, amps, turntables, candy, drinks, and even funny novelty gifts. They also have a full-fledged bar and venue in the back, which I believe does Wednesday night happy hours and live performances. Their prices are good, and I've had success selling them used CDs in the past. They also highlight releases by local artists (towards the front of the store when you first enter), as well as releases by artists touring through town. They also sometimes do meet and greets with touring bands; when Mastodon came to town, the members of the band signed copies of their records for fans, and the line went through a large portion of the huge store! I visited recently on Record Store Day, and they had the ever-popular Le Petit Poutine food truck out front, as well as another food truck offering wraps, a giant inflatable Tyrannosaurus Rex, and live music inside. This place is always cool and interesting, and offers an experience that can appeal to all kinds of folks. Come check it out and immerse yourself in a fun and eclectic music collector's paradise! read more

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I love this place my cousin took me here because of the nostalgic feel they have all kinds of cool this here and the prices are reasonable. Cool place to visit and shop. read more

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Huge selection of second hand records and new records, as well as CDs and nic nacks from the days of Spencer's gifts.

I called and spoke to Don to see if they had five LPs for a friend of mine..they did for $8 each. Saturday, I stopped in to pick them up. Wow what a place! It's a palace of vintage cool .. plus a nice bar, stage for live music, and party room ... Starting today all my out of town visitors are going first to Wegmans then to Record Archive... We will be back soon. If you haven't been to Record Archive in a while, check them out! read more

Disclaimer: as a former Record Archive employee, I am somewhat biased. However, I was a Record Archive customer before working there, and continued to shop there after parting on amicable terms. Let me get this straight for you folks out there. Th Record Archive IS the place to go. IT IS A DESTINATION LOCATION. If you're visiting Rochester, here's your day: 1) Breakfast @ James Browns 2) George Eastman House 3) Lunch at Vic & Irv's in Seabreeze (or Don's Original) 4) Then spend the Afternoon @ the Record Archive. You'll be happy... nuff said! read more

I can't believe it took me so long to finally visit! There's so much more than just records here. Lots of funny gifts (saw some of the same items at archimage earlier that day), some clothes, dvds (both regular and blu-ray), cds, and more! There's also a bar/lounge area at the back of the store where they host events like happy hours which looks nice. read more

Record Archive - Exterior of record archive - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Wow, this record store has it all! Not only records, but movies, clothes, magnets, books, merchandise, and "Spencer-like" odds and ends. In the back of Record Archive, you will find the coolest lounge ever, with a full bar and stage, even a classic video game section! I can truly spend hours and hours at this place, please bring one of these shops to Buffalo, Ny!!!! read more

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This place is really awesome!!! I drove here from Buffalo with a friend. It's like a cross between Spencer's and a Media Play. When you first walk in, there are cards and fun post-it notes. There's a lower area that has records and a ton of CDs to choose from. I looked through a lot of the CDs. Many were bands I hadn't heard of so I wanted to take a closer look. They have a lounge where you can buy a drink. There are a few tables in there. There's a stage and it looked really hip. There is an Atari video game set up to play. I had my friend take my picture with Superman and I took hers in the lounge with an Elvis cutout. I spent way more than I wanted to ($75!!) but I found some interesting things and some are gifts. I bought a jazz cd for myself and one for a friend. I bought a Doors cd for my dad. I bought a few cool stickers for myself and for friends and some gnome crayons for a friend for her birthday. This place has many unique things and it was such a fun store to be in. I'm so glad that I came in and checked it out. read more

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Not only do they have a huge selection of music, both new and vintage, but they also have a Backroom Lounge that brings in quality local and not so local bands. Awesome and friendly staff rounds out a perfect experience. The Record Archive is truly "The Place to Go" read more

Lots of variety. Great spot for new and used DVDs, CDs, and RECORDS!!! They also have a lot of rare and hard to find items. Be aware the parking situation isn't the greatest. read more

One of the best things about Rochester is this gem of a store. Record Archive used to have 2 locations, one in henrietta and one on east ave. Now they only have one location and its on Rockwood Pl (a couple blocks from their old location on East Ave). I hope they stop moving so I know where to look for them next time I'm in town. Anyway the people here are usually very cool and the reason I come here is that they have a huge selection of used CDs and everyone of them is $5. Old Hanson CD? $5, Some hit album that came out last month? $5. All music is created equal here. Most of my music collection came from Record Archive. Stuck in the 70s and want some Vinyl? They got that too. In fact they have a lot of vintage pieces including but not limited to furniture. So next time you see one of their annoying low budget commercials on TV heed their advice and stop on down because the place is awesome. read more

Record Archive - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

Very nice selection of vinyl. I found a few reasonably priced records and passed on a few that were out of my comfort zone. The majority were rock, with a good section of soul and blues. Very few punk and reggae, and a small section of new and reissues. The huge walls of records are really cool and love the ladder to get to the top shelves. read more

Record Archive - A view of the record area. Check out the high shelves in the back, you will need to use a latter. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

Every record, every cd, every bit of fun music paraphernalia can be found within the walls of this awesome establishment. They also sell vintage clothing, things like furniture and bicycles and music equipment. This place is a music lovers heaven/haven! The staff is fun, helpful and truly knowledgeable about music. Whether you're looking for a gift for a friend, or the album that you've been searching for for years and simply couldn't find...the Record Archive is your place! Want to try out your record before you bring it home? They've got tables set up so you can preview your purchase...How many places will let you do that?! Prices are extremely affordable and they often have sales. They also host live music shows. If you enjoy music and are in the Rochester area, this place is a must visit! No exceptions. read more

We went to an event in the newly opened event space at Record Archive. The space officially opened this week and the staff was well prepared for our event (HRC Second Thursday Happy Hour) of around 90 people. The bar is stocked and they are running 8 draft lines with an impressive bottle and can list. I had a weird blue sparkling wine and a red blend, both were drinkable but not mind blowing. I also had a can of Founders All-Day IPA which is one of my favorites. The prices were really reasonable, event spaces can sometimes be unnecessarily pricey. They also had plenty of bartenders on. Like the retail space the event space is crowded with mix and match stuff. The seating is spread throughout and random from a couple of booths to a cool retro couch so the flow was a little rough. For instance if two people were talking in front of the bar they block the route to get to the bar so there is a bit of jostling for space. There is a stage and lighting and a list of bands posted playing around once a week. I can see it being a great space for small shows. It can't be easy to run a record store these days, but Record Archive has the right idea, I can see the event space allowing them to celebrate the old school analog music they love. If you're at an event you can sip and shop too! The store donated an awesome prize pack to our charity raffle- which we won- and it was awesome! Now to find out if I still have a CD player! read more

Record Archive - A view of the space (sorry guys in the front, in really short). Note the T-Rex in the back! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I have come here a couple times since I live down the road but came most recently for record store day. I love that this place has just about everything and it is all very cheap. Every now and then you just really want to remember middle school or high school and you can come here and buy a CD for $5.00 to help you do that. This placed is jam packed with a little bit of everything and that is what makes it such a good and cool place. For record store day there were 3 food trucks (yummmmm!), custard, bands and beer and wine. It was a lot of fun and great to see everything that was going on. It is hard to forget how important and amazing stores like these really are with the ease of iTunes. It never hurts to go and look around even if you don't have any plans of purchasing anything. You never know when you will be happy you did so when you want something for this store. read more

For a small city, Rochester has no shortage of great shops to find used and new records. Record Archive is by far the largest of the shops. They have an incredible classic rock selection that has taken up many of my rainy afternoons. The cheaper records are not in as great condition as the ones on the back wall, but there are definitely some gems in there. Be sure not to miss the "new arrivals" shelves towards the back counter, I grabbed a great condition Wilco record in there. The disco section is also on point, grabbed a Sylvester record there for cheap. If you are hunting on Record Store Day, this is the spot to go for a large chunk of the special releases. They usually have most of the extremely limited releases. Arrive early though, because by the time they open the line is down the street and then some. read more

Record Archive - Music & DVDs Near Me - Rochester, New York

One of Rochester's long time best independent music stores. A great and very large selection of records, cassettes, CDs DVDs and VHS tapes, and other assorted music related and unique novelty items. Also a small selection of vintage audio gear. They also have a backroom which is used for live entertainment and drinks. I've been shopping there for over 20 years. The staff is always friendly and helpful. It's always a fun place to visit. read more

Visiting friends in Rochester NY, we asked some radio interns at Timmy H's if there were any good record stores nearby. We were pointed here. Initial vibes as you walk in, music meets quirky gift store ala Spencers.. then the space opens up as you turn the corner and music. Music everywhere. Those who know me know I LOVE music, especially rock and metal and electronica. All these sections are well stocked. Very cheap used CDs, I wish I'd have had time to peruse the massive vinyl selection and the DVDs/Blu-ray, but that will have to wait till the next visit! Knowledgeable and friendly staff is an added bonus! read more

Live music Wednesdays who knew? I guess so many more cooler people than I. Now that I'm part of the party I suggest you check it our too. There are drinks and food but limited parking. read more

Literally multiple cases of covid from employees and they knew this and didn't shut down immediately and allowed patrons and other employees to contract covid do not give them your business until they can own up to what they did and are more responsible during a global pandemic. Shop at your own risk! read more

When I pulled up and saw the outside of this building, I figured there was no WAY the whole entire thing could be filled with record store. Surely part of it was a car wash, or it was used for storing tires, or something. But nope, it's all record store. This place is huge. I was there on a Sunday and only had an hour to run around inside before they closed. So I was back the next day when they opened and still only managed to complete my excavation of the Soul/R&B LP section and make my way through a few boxes of 45s before I had to hit the road. I'd love to have had an entire month to rummage through these vinyl archives. It's like a record-lovers fantasy land. I picked up a terrific Calypso Rose LP, some Billy Williams records, a Bohannon LP I didn't yet have, some other neat soul and funk records, and I finally found the Missing Persons "Walking In L.A." 45 I've been hunting for since it charted briefly in the 1980s. The folks who work here are all super nice too; they offered me a free Record Archive t-shirt since I bought so much stuff. If you're in Rochester, or even close by, and you like music and vinyl in particular, go here. You'll be glad you did. read more

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This place is pretty cool, reminds me of amoeba or Rasputin's in SF, plus archimage. But I'm gonna give it to you straight, they say you can return shirts within 10 days. This is not entirely true. They will give you store credit, but won't refund you. Even if it's a brand new shirt, you're SOL and have to go rummage for something else to spend money on, which isn't hard, but still, don't impulse by. Think it through. read more

Hard to find a better place to fill you music needs. This place is fantastic and has literally something for everyone. You can easy spend hours here browsing and still not see it all. Definitely a must stop for audiophiles. Really awesome they've added a bar and do live music as well! read more