RECORD STORE DAY 2022 SEES QOBUZ START COLLABORATION WITH INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES

Music platform Qobuz plans to build a bridge between digital and physical music through collaboration.

To coincide with Record Store Day 2022, Qobuz has started an international collaboration with local independent record stores to celebrate the 15th anniversary of RSD. The record stores participating in the UK are Sister Ray Records, Monorail Music, Sleeve Notes Records and Olympic Studios Records.

We all love flicking through the racks of records in a great record shop

VINYL REVIVAL

The 15th international Record Store Day (RSD) will take place on April 23rd 2022. Since its introduction, artists, labels and record shops around the world have been planning exclusive promotions and releases to honour vinyl records, an enduring, ever-popular format that is still enjoying a resurgence today.

QOBUZ

Qobuz is collaborating with select record stores internationally for the first time in order to strengthen the connection between local record stores and digital music streaming in the long term.

Quobuz Hi Res streaming and download platform

“Most people who regularly visit record stores also listen to music online, to nurture their relationship and passion for music. The two are complementary. We want to raise awareness that in 2022, it’s no longer a question of choosing between a local record store and a digital music service. Everyone has a role to play in contributing to music culture. While our music offer on Qobuz is accessible immediately and at any time, traditional record stores meet very different needs: where else can you smell the unique fragrance of vinyl?” says Marc Zisman, Head of Music at Qobuz.

INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES

At the heart of the collaboration are individual playlists with up to 30 songs which are created and curated by the participating record stores themselves, with the aim of making the unique charm and character of each record store tangible for digital listeners on Qobuz.

The playlists are rounded off with anecdotes and images from the respective record stores. Accompanying this, the participating record stores will be presented in a series of articles in the online Qobuz magazine. Both the playlists and the posts will appear there sequentially throughout the week of Record Store Day.

RECORD STORE DAY 2022

Just like Record Store Day itself, this collaboration with Qobuz is not limited to the UK market, but will also be taking place in France, Germany and the USA. The company also wants to strengthen the relationship between digital and local providers and expand the collaboration to other markets in the future.

The following record stores from the UK are taking part, with each playlist available to listen to on Qobuz:

MONORAIL MUSIC – GLASGOW

Stephen McRobbie from Glasgow’s Monorail Music says: “With the playlist, we’ve tried to reflect some of the music we play in the shop on a typical day. It moves from quieter more abstract music into more solid tunes. It’s not a perfect flow as there are always interruptions as things take place… That’s what it’s like in our shop on a busy day – you’re always trying to stay on top of things as they’re slowly rolling away from you. I use Qobuz at home and enjoyed working with it on this. It’s a very nice interface and the sound quality is excellent. We would definitely consider moving across to it permanently in the shop.”

Monorail Music in Glasgow

SLEEVE NOTES RECORDS – RICHMOND

Sleeve Notes Records in Richmond Upon Thames specialises in Jazz and Soul music, and owner Ken Marshall says: “The tracks on this playlist are a snapshot of the type of music you will hear on any day in the shop. While vinyl is our preferred format (it’s personal taste), we are big fans of well-curated Hi-Res digital music. There is a place for both formats and we use Hi-Res in the shop to allow customers to hear tracks before purchasing.”

Sleeve Notes Records, Richmond

SISTER RAY RECORDS – LONDON

Leo Piggott of the well-known Sister Ray Records in London says: “We hope you enjoy this eclectic selection of tunes that have floated our collective boats over 30 years proudly serving your vinyl needs in the heart of Soho.”

Sister Ray Records in London

OLYMPIC STUDIOS RECORDS – BARNES

Roger Miles from Barnes’ Olympic Studios Records says: “​​All our songs were recorded and/or mixed at Olympic Studios, one of the great British recording institutions, between 1966 and 2009 and are chosen to reflect the depth and breadth of music made there.“

Olympic Studio Records, Barnes

HiFi Pig Says: A fab idea to celebrate Record Store Day 2022 and bridge the gap between streaming and physical media.

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