I travel the country extensively visiting record stores in every city. I gotta say, this one is up…read morethere! Arguably one of the best record stores in Austin. Highly curated, with so many off-beat selections. Prices are reasonable for what they offer. I have found several "Holy Grails" here. I love the fun decor and high ceilings. One thing that makes it a little hard to browse is the three-tier bins. If you're under 6' then it's actually a lot harder to see what's in the upper bins without having to take things out. Not a lot of flippability for us height challenged folk. (Just a note as an avid crate digger) I make this my FIRST stop. The employees are nice, and you get decent quality vinyl for a decent price. Love End of an Ear!

Rad indie record store that carries just about anything you're looking for…read more They have a decent selection of vinyl as well as other old school formats like cassettes and CDs. I find lots of hidden gems in the used section as well as new. They buy and trade as well. So if you're looking to unload stuff, give them a try. Coming from an old school punk background, I'm a big fan of their curation of the genre. They also sell band shirts and other little tidbits. Staff are extremely knowledgeable whether you're looking for a Blues or Jazz record, Rap or Hiphop, Punk or Rock, they've got the answers and what you're looking for. I could get lost at End of an Ear for hours reading jacket liners and chatting with employees about music.

This place has it all. There is so much music to be consumed at Piranha Records, including records,…read morebut also a ton of random music-related tchotchkes. One of the best selling points and features of Piranha is that for every $20 spent, you get a $1 wooden coin back, so you get a 20:1 ratio of money back on all purchases. It may not mean much, but after stockpiling 15 wooden coins and blowing them on a record, the feeling is unbeaten. The staff is humorous and great. After Record Store Day last year, I pulled up after failing to grab a copy of the Blue Notes Alts n Ins record, and the owner gave me props for grabbing it because he personally thought it was one of the coolest releases in the collection. He asked if I had come there just to buy it or stumbled upon it. I told him I was seeking it out, and I got the nod of approval. Best day of my life. I do not think this record store has much of a purpose to visit if you are deep in Austin, since independent stores in Austin have pretty similar stock, but living in Hutto and for the people in Round Rock and Georgetown, this is a great spot and a place I love to support. RIYL: Really Rockin' Records in Round Rock

First time here and definitely plan to come back. It was a large selection and they exactly had…read morewhat I was looking for. The staff was very helpful too.

The Waterloo Records is a pretty nice spot though I admit it misses a little bit of the charm the…read moreoriginal had and replaces it with a more modern feeling. I don't fault Waterloo for that because they were asked to leave. The place is great and their collection is awesome just like the originally. I really think they just picked up their stock and moved it. It is in a great spot, they do great events with artists from in-store performances to listening parties, and I feel that they have so many great collections in genres that some record stores don't have like in electronic music and jazz. The genres represented at Waterloo are always eclectic and their stock is always pretty substantial. My wallet always hurts after visiting, but that's part of record collecting. RIYL: Record hunting

At first, I didn't want to bring it up, but the more I think about it the more annoyed I am, so I…read morereally hope the management/whoever was in charge of it sees and pays attention to the feedback. Last week, for 3/20, the store organized a listening party for BTS' new album "ARIRANG." The way it was presented on social media, it seemed like a fun event for the local ARMYs (fandom name) to attend and have fun together. This release is significant to us because it was the first comeback after a long hiatus. It was highly anticipated and people were genuinely stoked and excited. So when you see a local business organize an event, you want to be there and celebrate with people who share the love to this group. Calling it a listening party was an overstatement. You stand in line to register for a raffle. The girl who ran the raffle seemed like she didn't even want be there. She mentioned that people need to write names and last 4 digits of a phone number, which was odd (normally people ask for a full number or email) and she seemed irritated when I was confused about the last 4 digits. By the looks of it, it was under 100 people who were there specifically for the occasion (aside from just customers browsing), not a crazy crowd. So it shouldn't be that difficult to prepare for such a large business. Yet it felt not just underwhelming, but more like no effort was put into it at all. Most fan-organized events gather more people than that and they are in no way a well-known business with a budget and staff. The freebies ran out 10 minutes after stated start time, the CDs sold out even before that, no vinyl for this release was available, I was told they wouldn't get it. A raffle prize was a bootleg canvas print which the girl who ran the raffle announced as "official from the BTS label." Big Hit never released such item for this album merch lineup. Absoluetely nothing against fan-made merch, this community is super welcoming and encouraging to it. However, transparency matters. Overall, equally not a good look whether it was intentionally misrepresented as official item OR just ignorance about the matter. Nothing was done to create an exciting event and engage people who might have turned down other plans to attend this "listening party." Once dropped your name for the raffle, you just wait around and maybe flip through the records while the new album plays on the background (not even very loud). That's it. I can do that on any random Tuesday - come to the store and flip through records while listening to music on my headphones. If you don't know what to do but want to organize an event worth attending, connect with local fans! There's a whole community of enthusiasts in the city (and online) of people who regularly organize fan events locally and would be stoked to do this. It would've been less frustrating if Waterloo just ignored this release and did nothing. At the end of the day, kpop community wouldn't expect a business that doesn't specialize on kpop to participate in celebrating this new album. This "event" was a huge disappointment and a great example of what happens when non-enthusiasts try to capitalize on something they have no clue about.

Breakaway Records is like a records museum! The store has mainly vinyl records and a very large…read moreselection. The store is located on North Loop in Austin, TX off the beaten path. According to staff, Breakaway Records opened in 2008, moved to its current North Loop location in 2010, and later expanded the space. The store is clean, well-organized, and with items strategically arranged with excellent signage. There was no piled-on dust that you tend to see in music stores housing old vinyl records. Breakaway's true highlight was the breadth and depth of its music items and accessories. The shop had an extensive collection of used vinyl and 45s, spanning genres as well as ages that primarily focused on soul, jazz, funk, hip hop, international sounds, punk, and rock. Flipping through their vinyl records was easy and enjoyable with some surprise finds. Listening stations let you preview records before you buy. The staff were knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about music. They'll either give you space to browse or gladly answer questions, depending on what you prefer. Breakaway also sells 45, CDs (small section) and record players. The store carries stereo gear and accessories at a range of prices including turntables, receivers, speakers, and small essentials. They did not have any small music tapes or 8-track tapes...probably my nieces and nephews have never heard of these. Smile. Great discovery...great visit...

Ah, one of my favorite stops during my North Loop Jaunts (it's when I hit up all my fave North Loop…read morebusinessses every few months). The store is well-organized and the folks working here know their stuff! From the rare and obscure to the trendy they can answer you. Their opinions and thoughts on music are bar-none some of the best. You can find just about anything you're looking for from vintage vinyl to super vintage vinyl, cassettes, 7" vinyl (aka 45s), and even 8-tracks. Bargain bins where you can grab music for just a buck! I like that you can listen to music before buying it as well. Like, don't try and sit there listening to an entire recording and then leave. Listen for a sample and make your decision. They also offer repair services (turntables, cassette players, etc.). Great local business. Support them.

I stumbled upon this record store during my trip to Austin when my friend and I were walking around…read morethe outdoor vintage marketing going on. I was so pleasantly surprised to see Antone's Record Shop in the midst of it all! They've got a massive selection of records, all organized and labeled properly. The whole store was well-kept and clean too. Nothing felt out of sorts at all. It was extremely hot that day so popping indoors to browse around was also a major plus.

Very cool music shop located near the University of Texas. You'll be listening to good music while…read moreyou shop, you can count on it. They mostly have vinyl records but their CD collection is pretty strong, especially for local Austin artists. I didn't check the vinyl prices but for used cds, many or most were $5 or less. For music lovers, I highly recommend stopping by.

Cate diggers paradise . Tonnes of records CD's a little some great finds and vintage T's clerks…read morehelpful and knowledgable. Something off the beaten track a first choice in an area chuffed with shopping and resturants

This was an interesting store. It's located right on a pretty busy street and there is no sign…read moreabove the entrance so I passed it a couple of times before I realized where it was. When I first walked in I was a little overwhelmed. It's pretty small and there is stuff everywhere! Some collectibles, lots of cassettes and a nice vinyl section. I found two records I really wanted, one was overpriced for my taste and I bought the other. An obscure German metal band from the 80's. There was a scratch that concerned me, so the owner of the store put it on the turntable and it played right thru it. I have no doubt there were other gems in the store but I was short on time (the wife was waiting in the car).

Cute store, friendly staff, lots of gadgets to choose from for that great souvenir, gift or…read morepersonal purchase. Centrally located on Congress Ave, can't miss it while on your way to some of the local landmarks happening around town. Need a guitar? They got you!

This is a MUST SEE in Austin. Shopped here upon our arrival to Austin. Brought our group back…read moreanother time, to visit Louis the resident kitty and to shop some more!!

It has been a minute since we've been to Barnes and Noble - Austin bookstore. Barnes & Noble is…read morephysically connected to GameStop and houses a Starbucks inside the bookstore. It's a one-stop shopping location - books primarily, reader accessories, calendars, toys. greeting cards, note and thank you cards. Prices at Barnes & Noble range from extreme low to moderate. The format of the store is self-service until you reach the counter.

Just visited this location with my son since he wanted to check their "manga" section…read more This location has a lot of everything. I used to visit it when I live closer and it's always nice where is located. The arboretum offers a lot of eating and shopping options. He found some great magazines of his interest and I was able to find a very cute notebook with the sacred flower as the pattern. I've been looking for this for a while. I didn't think I was going to find it here. The staff is super helpful and ready to answer questions. With all online options it's really nice going to a real place where you can hold books, and read directly from them instead of a screen.

Of all the half price books locations, this is one of the smallest locations. Their immediate…read moreadjoining neighbors are Dollar General, Harbor freight tools, big lots and a specialty grocery store. They do sell records and comic books, but their selection is nowhere near the size of their Lamar/2222 location. The staff is friendly enough and at this time they're not so focused on the mask mandate as they used to be. One thing that I noticed that was conspicuously absent was the fact that there are no places to sit and read. It's a great place to turn your old used books, records, DVDs and CDs into cash, but don't expect to get much for them.

This Half Price Books seems pretty standard as far as Half Price Books go. We came here to sell…read morebooks and then walked around the store while we were waiting. It was a little bit confusing on how we were supposed to sell books when we first walked in, but the staff helped us figure it out after we asked. They told us to put our books in a cart and we were like "what do we do with the cart?" which I guess is just leave it there at the front, but it was not super clear. Anyway, it all worked out, we got some money back for the books, not a whole lot given what we paid originally but better than nothing. The selection of books they have seemed decent too. They had a lot of different categories with multiple copies for some of them. Everything seems organized. Their rare books seemed cool, I'm not a collector or anything but they had some autographed stuff and old editions of books which were fun to look at.

Big and beautiful store full of great books and amazing cute toys and accessories. I prefer it over…read moreonline shopping. We found a few good books. They also offer some books buy one get second half price or on sale. Pleasant customer service from nice staff. I would go back to this location for sure.

I love Barnes & Noble. All of the employees are so helpful and I'm able to find any book title with…read moretheir assistance. The selection of books is so wide and I greatly appreciate their selection of banned books. But I do wish they had more community events. My kids always love the lego events and they're always asking for more events.