Very cool, vintage vinyls, videos on DVD, Blu-Ray, and VHS. The person working the counter definitely knew what they had in inventory. You could browse all day for those albums you desperately wanted in the 70's and 80's. Such a cool spot, right in West Portal. read more

As they say, "We got the beats!" 2 floors of vinyl records, CDs, cassette tapes, VHS, DVDs, laser discs, video games, comic books, posters, stickers, insence, vintage record cover notebooks, music lessons (guitar/bass/uke/piano), and much much more! read more

See all

Oh my goodness. This store deserves to be a museum. Lots of items I saw here I saw in museums in Washington DC. I loved it . Lots of nostalgia. The gentleman (probably the owner) was super friendly. Go check this store . read more

See all

Are you someone who loves collecting physical media, like CDs, Casettes, Vinyl, Laserdiscs, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc.? Then you need to check this place out. Please keep in mind it's a small store so sometimes you may not find what you're looking for (depending on if they have it or not) but the coziness and the aesthetics of it all makes up for it. I have been wanting to visit this store for a few weeks and I finally got to check it out. It was Thursday, April 4, 2024. The person who was working at the front seemed very friendly. I think he knows his stuff very well. The first floor consists of all sorts of stuff: CDs, Casettes, VHS Tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays, Vinyls, CD singles; the second floor consists of Laserdiscs, Vinyl Singles, and I assume they sold record needles (i didn't look though). I looked for a while, deciding on what I should even buy. I settled for a copy of Mariah Carey's 7th album "Rainbow", which I didn't own previously. I listened to it when I got home and I enjoyed the album. Mariah Carey is such a great artist. As I was going to pay I noticed the CD was empty, and even asked the employee if they have the CD, and he said they do, but the reason that his CDs are empty is to prevent scratching and/or theft, which is understandable. And yes, you can pay with your card! I'm not sure about Apple Pay though All in all, this was a nice store that I am glad I checked out. If you are in the area, check it out, but it has to be before 6pm (that's when it closes). read more

The Music Store is right near the West Portal MUNI station. A visit here is an analog lovers dream. This store has character w/ CDs, Vinyl, cassette tapes, & even VHS tapes. If you are particular about your vinyl know that they stock both 78's & 45's here for all you vinyl enthusiasts. There is a small selection of comic books. The store takes up two stories. The second floor is all vinyl yet is still worth taking a look to see the interesting displays on hand. I'm all about living in the present moment yet revisiting some pleasant memories w/ some nostalgia is quite alright in my book. I loved seeing some classic album covers including Tracy Chapman, the Rick Rubin latter day Johnny Cash recordings, iconic cover photo of Rickie Lee Jones, & the green album by Weezer. I am a product of the 90's & remember when Weezer put out their first album way back in the day w/ Buddy Holly along w/ the Sweater Song. Funny how time slips by as Weezer just put out their 11th studio album Pacific Daydream which I recently heard. It is quite alright & reminds me of their earlier sound. As I went into the Music Store they were selling some cool one of a kind handmade calendars & loved the Bob Dylan Blond on Blonde one as that is one of my favorite albums by him. Besides albums they offer Music Lessons here for guitar, piano, violin, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bass, flute, viola, & ukulele. The late great George Harrison would always have a bunch of ukuleles around saying you never know when you need a ukulele. Love that this store exists! read more

See all

Heck Ya! The carry vinyls and that is enough to get 4 stars! Freakin young bucks don't know anything about these classics!!! SHOOOO I came up with cassette tapes but vinyls are SICK!!! I use to scratch on vinyls back in the day. And when I say back in the day I mean in the 90s! Walking in here is like walking into the past, they way music stores use to be! With the Warehouse Music gone in Colma and Tower Records in Stonestown now gone this place is the only place that I can go to get records. I love me some classics! They do not have all the music that I am always looking for i appreciate that they have a HEART for music. Come get some music lessons, old VHS movies, or even guitar picks. I love supporting businesses like this because soon enough they will be extinct. That sucks. But, while they are around I am all about them! #Keepspinningthoserecords read more

The Music Store - Check this place out! Plenty of good tunes! - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love coming to this record store. As a fan of classical music i always head straight upstairs to the classical section. I always come out with something at a fair price! The staff has always been friendly and helpful - they really make you feel welcome. If you are in the area you should definately stop in and have a look around! read more

Not a happy place, that's for sure. They seem overwhelmed with merchandise. I was a potential seller of a CD collection and they were not really interested. I tested their interest with a small collection. read more

Super cute little record store. A great place to flip through old vinyl's, CD's, we even found some 8-Tracks upstairs. It's a little packed and you need to check all your bags at the front, but it's a great place to stop in and see if you can find any gems. Goodluck on your search! read more

I've been here twice. This place has a descent selection of vinyls.There is also a whole selection of porn, like "Latin Lovers", where creepy, sometimes smelly, old men may be lingering around. I also like the layout of the store, kind of fun to go in with some friends. All the mannequins kind of freak me out because in the corner of my eye they look real, though remarkably still. But here it goes, the reason I have rated this place down two stars: the guy at the front is a rude hipster with a blonde mustache. Every interaction I heard him having with customers was him being a douche. A guy mentioned something about blue rays and the douchy guy at the front desk was like, "What, you have a problem with blue rays? It's new technology, man. There's nothing wrong with it." And then a girl came in to ask if there were any job opening, and the douchy guy at the front laughed at her and said, "Definitely not." The first time we came, he asked if we needed any help finding a record, my fiance replied, "Wire" and the douchy guy at the front replied in a condescending tone, "Did you look under W?" after he clearly saw we had been looking, since the records are at the front. Usually, if the place is cool enough, I will just go anyway, even if the customer service is bad, but this guy was just over-the-top. So, go, but beware of hipster blonde mustache guy. And if your reading this blonde mustache man, be nicer to people! read more

The Music Store - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Love this place. One of the best music/movie stores I have ever been to. Quality/square foot of store is #1. Lots of great stuff in a small space. Shelby the owner also plays excellent music throughout the store. read more

I will not return to this business. Passed by today to support this local store to buy a couple of country music CDs. Started a friendly conversation about Meatloaf and covid with perhaps the owner. He was very sarcastic and rude. Perhaps he was mourning. Just did not have a friendly and inviting feeling in this music store. Will just order from Amazon. Sorry. read more

Pretty cool place to find vinyl and vhs (what I usually search through). The owner is super nice too. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood, and don't forget to look around upstairs. read more

This is an awesome record shop made even more awesome by the owner, Shelby, who's super chill & remembers you. I lost some of my old records and slowly finding replacements here. Stopped by one day and Shelby said hey got some new stuff and bam! Found mint condition Bowie & Prince. Fair prices & vibe is nice & laid back unlike Amoeba. Support local shops!!! read more

This is a sweet little record shop, oops I mean a sweet little music store. Lots of good stuff .....more than just Cd's. Also, the aforementioned records and movies and lessons and advice too....rumor has it if you ask the right question the guy who runs the place will give you free advice. Hint : Ask him what live music shows to go see or how to play the spoons. You can also listen before you buy, lounge on the couch or even stare at all the crap on the walls. I even love the neighborhood it's in. I'd give it all 5 stars if it had a better name......... read more

They don't even open when they say they will. And, this is the week before Christmas. They obviously don't care if they stay in business or not. This is a good example of why businesses fail. And, the phone number doesn't work either. read more

The man working at the register is extremely rude and I won't returned because of him. I was browsing the video games which is a small section and asked him if they had any more stock. He made an impolite response asking if I'd read the sign, of which I thought he meant the video games here sign. I said yes to which he responded "well you should know then" which confused me. After we left my wife mentioned there was a piece of paper saying this was all the stock they have which I hadn't seen. His attitude and disrespect to a confused customer pissed me off that that is how he'd tell me there are no other areas with games. I was so clearly confused with his response I'm shocked he didn't reexplain or notice I hadn't seen it. Total jerk, I've read many other reviews complaining about him as well, smart people. read more

I cant remember how long ago anymore; five years, seven years ago? but I remember trying to clean out clutter in my home one day and had sold my old Bang & Olufsen RX2 record player on eBay that I had since like 1987 and had no use for old records that I hadn't listened to in at least fifteen years at that point. First I went through them and even dusted them and the covers; not to make them look more valuable, but just out of thoughtfulness so whoever bought, sold, bought them again wouldn't get a bunch of dust fly up in their faces. Took them down to this store to see what I can sell them for, not expecting much but expecting more than the ten dollars he offered for about 20 records or so he said he could use, but then said "I can't buy these from you, but you can donate them to the store" another 10-15 he said he could not pay me for. Well if they're good enough for you to take them for free, then they must have "some" value! Anyway, I didn't expect to make much from them and I just wanted them out of the way, so I agreed to just take the ten dollars as I didn't really want to try to sell them on ebay or Craigslist etc. The thing that makes me feel like the store owner is a ripoff con artist who takes advantage of people is that I know some of the records were good records in good to very good condition that people would like and actually be easy to sell. Most of them were albums from the 1980's, popular bands and albums, for instance I know I had a Pink Floyd "The Wall" in very good condition and he probably sold that for at least twice as much as he paid me for more than thirty albums. I looked around in there a few weeks ago, the first time I've been back in there since I sold those records several years ago and some of the items are pretty expensive, so he probably does really well buying and selling these; ... Ha! I was about to write "it's not like I had a 'Revolver' in pristine condition" but I did have a Beatles Revolver in fair condition with the cover in beat up condition that I may have passed along to him and any Revolver should be worth something. I know it's a business and he has rent and overhead etc, I watch Pawn Stars! but ten dollars just seems like a ripoff to me for so many albums and most of them in fair or good condition. read more

I probably will not come back here, most of what i was interested in here could be had brand new for cheaper or the same price, some items that were marked $7.99 or $9.99 or $19.99 can be purchased from Ameoba regularly for $2-6. I'd say if you are looking for something rare this dude might have it but you will pay top dollar for it though, in which case i would just order it online and not have to drive to this store. Also the guy that i assume owns the joint seemed offended when i asked for a price on an unmarked item. It was a simple question but he seemed angry for some reason LOL read more

The Music Store is a cool and quaint little shop on Main Street West Portal. I wandered in over Lunch last week and was impressed with the selection of CDs, DVDs, and Vinyl spread over 2 levels. I love places like this where you're not looking for anything in particular, but are easily surprised and impressed on the offerings that suit my taste. I also like touching my music the analog way, rather than just another download. read more

okay, I had to check this place out because of it's original name, "The Music Store," I mean c'mon! Privately owned, great porn selection, tacky rolling stones flags hanging from the ceiling. Yeah, I really don't judge a book by it's cover. If you're looking for some rare cd's that amoeba has possibly run out of, you might get lucky here at "da music store," but their selection is minimal. They have a lot of nice looking vinyl, but who cares. The blonde dude at the register was a total douche bag and I usually don't mind douche bags because we've all been assholes from time to time, but this guy really needed a day off. He was just giving this one chick a hard time. lol. wut is dis place? not for punx that's fer sure read more

I love this place. I just spent a couple of hours watching the Robber Barons do a live set on a Saturday afternoon in the store. Ashley runs a great store. They have sections for Rock, Country, Alt Country, Jazz, Jazz Vocals, Metal, etc. Clearly a musical omnivore is driving the ship here. There are a lot of CD's, as well as a great amount of Vinyl and also a cassette wall. Beautiful. read more

I really liked this store when they first opened. A locally-owned record store in a stiff, geriatric-oriented neighborhood like West Portal is a breath of fresh air. Plus, I bought a lot of CD albums before the days of iPods and iTunes. However, I think Shelby Ash (the owner) has turned into a douche. During my recent excursion when I sold some used CD's to him, he was very condescending and acted like a biatch with a stick up his you-know-what. I don't remember him being like this when he first opened the store, but I think the economy is getting to him. Since iPods have hit the market, most people buy music online from Amazon, iTunes or Rhapsody. Which means that record stores are quickly becoming a vintage thing of the past. Shelby even dropped a hint to me as he was scanning through my CD's: he said, "We're not really giving 100% cash anymore because people aren't buying like they used to". No shit, Sherlock! So out of 30 CD's, he only bought 8. I know that I could have gotten a better deal @ Rasputin's on Powell Street, but I didn't feel like dragging my collection on MUNI that day. I also observed a woman who came in and asked for an Aretha Franklin CD, and he got in a slight huff because she was asking for an album that he didn't have. I can tell that business is dragging for Shelby because I was one of 3 people in the store. I don't see a bright future for this place: I think it will fold when the owner realizes that buying CD's just isn't for the masses anymore. I won't be back. read more

You're really not going to find exactly the you're looking for, but you'll make great meaningful discoveries along the way. Short story: I moved here in 2003 and heard this incredible world-music song on local station, but could never find ... 10 years later, I'm hanging out in the Music Store, chatting about music with the guitar teacher, and through that conversation, he leads me to the world music section, and puts in my hand his album - and it's the band and song I heard almost 10 years ago. This kind of serendipitous stuff drives me nuts in a good way. If you're Semi-Retired, Mentally Disabled, a Widow dropping off a heavy collection of your deceased spouse's/child, a college kid discovering vinyl & record players, looking to get cassette tapes or records transferred to CD, or escaping your family dinner outing in West Portal, or have an afternoon free (and the will to get away from your computer) this place is for you. I love it! read more

wide selection of LPs and some old cds, even saw some old chinese/japanese cds there..not a lot of those but it was just nice to see. The guy workin at the counter was very polite and joked about my small bag saying I wouldnt need to check it in cause it was very unlikely i could hide anything in it... they do have a second floor overlooking the first with more music..so check it out, you might just find something you like.. read more

This is the place for LP's! I scored 45's of G.W. Jr.'s "Feels So Good" & "Mister Magic." Friendly staff and a bounty of used & new vinyl to browse (& not just jazz-funk). I found some Elvis LP's upstairs still in their original cello wraps. Just catching a whiff of that vinyl-cardboard-smell brought back memories of my childhood, when I'd go though my parent's stacks looking for records to play. Bottom line: I walked out of here with a soulful strut. read more

A real gem. Lots to explore. CDs, records, DVDs, etc. Friendly folkies working there. As chill as you'd expect. Don't look for something specifically. Let it find you. read more

It was my first time in this record store and I loved it. I found a bunch of collectible LPs limited to 500 copies. Definitely a place to visit if you're ever in West Portal. You'll definitely find what you like and if you can't find something you like, the nice people who work there are very accommodating. read more

The Music Store - Music & DVDs Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I think this end of the block is cursed, so I'm glad that The Music Store has lasted this long. It fills a much-needed gap in the neighborhood dynamic. Now we just need a decent bookstore and cozy, non-chain coffee/tea shop. But there aren't enough aging hippies/hipsters around to make that happen. They like the sun too much. Back to the shop... the owner is a bluegrass nut and arranges Sunday in-store concerts. You can tell he has a lot of heart and tries hard to give the shop a laid-back, self-consciously vintage feel (as opposed to the unironic oblivion of the time capsules that occupy most of the neighborhood but which is also cool in its own way). The used CD and record section is a little random but satisfying. I picked up Cesaria Evora, Bjork, Caetano Veloso, and Mozart's Requiem all in the same day. It was funny because the store suddenly got really crowded, and the guy behind the counter had this bewildered look on his face and muttered something about it usually being empty. read more

I am so thankful this place exists. I remember a time when SF was full of independent record stores, now The Music Store is one of the last. I love being able to flip through vinyl, cd's, DVD's and find a forgotten gems or stumble across something new. Love this place. He also makes fantastic notebooks out of old record covers. read more

So. I'm in the store. I wanted something and was told by the owner that he can order it. Great. But he needs me to prepay . . . . as I'm deciding he gets a phone call. From someone he does not know. This person also wants something that's not in the store and wishes to have it ordered. The owner does not ask this person who he cannot even see for a prepayment, yet he asks very well dressed and extremely polite me to prepay. I didn't even bother saying anything about how absurd this was, I simply left, never to return. Very sad to me as I'm a huge supporter of independent business. read more

This is really a great place, just tucked away in West Portal, waiting to be discovered. I've recently reverted back to vinyl, especially for the old timey music, so I'm happy to have a "go to" record shop to get music and needles. I think there is an added character in vinyl records that is missing in digital recordings. I get my hair cut across the street and then jump into The Music Store to browse and I usually find something. I love it when they have one of the Bluegrass bands playing in the store. I am not at all a fan of the genre, but I can appreciate the real commitment it takes to have a four or five piece live band, including a stand-up bass, squeezed in to something like a 7' square corner of a relatively small shop. The sound is great and it is so cool when you catch the the first notes of it from the street. The folks that work there are very nice too. They are always willing to answer questions and help you find a specific artist / lables you are looking for. read more

I'm annoyed that they're not open yet and it's 12:10. I was in the area and waited an hour and a half for them to open, since their posted hours are later than normal businesses. Dude! It's the holidays. I need to buy something! read more

The facts that I posted were verified by Visa. Instead of apologizing, you now say that you will tell the "true story" to anyone who asks. I call your bluff: post your fake facts so everyone can see them. Don't hide behind your shadowy suggestions or try to demean me. Put up or shut up. read more

this place is awesome. Got some great rap cds soul and funk! read more

High prices for small selection of goods and no real good albums. I ran out of the store with The Who tommy set that was in the Who section but was actually a symphony version of Tommy at the price of 20.00 dollars I should have been more careful as I knew this place has a history of being shabby and high priced for old beat up albums. Along with rude people who only want to talk about BlueGrass. I challenge him to refund me this worthless album, but I know he wont so why try. Third experience=all bad ones!!!Don't bother folks.....don't bother unless you are crippled and cant walk to a salvation army or other thrift shop for same quality at 2.49 a record read more

The small local record shop that unfortunately is a throwback to the times when there were small local record shops. The type of place where the employees know what they are talking about. I can get it cheaper at amazon, but if I can buy it here I do. If you are looking for Bluegrass or any other kind of American roots music, this is the place in the Bay Area to come. I'd give it a full array of stars if they had more in stock. read more

I love the place! I nearly cleaned out his reel to reel tape collection. Lot's of cool funky LPs. Great selection of Gino Vannelli records too. :) All the gems are upstairs. Glad they are still around. read more

This is my fave record store. I can spend hours going thru his stacks of LP's and they always change! I've found some real jewels. But, be warned --- the prices are GREAT! The quality is usually just as great -- but I hardly ever leave without spending at least $50! ...but the money is well worth it! Best store in the city! Beats out the bigger chains easily. I just wish he would get more new releases for vinyl!!! read more

I am surprised at myself for having walked by this place, probably dozens of times and hadn't gone in until just a few days ago. It is very eclectic inside and I found things I wanted that I never knew existed until I saw it. My favorite discovery was the massive cassette collection in the back! Seriously the largest amount of cassettes I have seen all at once since 1995. It was incredible; however, some of the prices were a tad high considering they are cassettes... maybe they are considered ancient relics now? Rare vintage material?? I don't know, but it still tempted me to come back and dig through it more thoroughly. read more