Ottawa has held onto a surprisingly deep bench of record stores through every vinyl boom and bust, from Bank Street institutions that opened in the late 1970s to a Baseline Road newcomer that only started stacking crates in 2023. This list was put together from store websites, Google and Yelp review counts, and local coverage from outlets like Apartment613 and the Ottawa Business Journal. Here are ten currently operating shops worth a stop.
1. The Record Centre
Area: Hintonburg, 1099 Wellington St. W · Rating: 4.8 on Google (585 reviews) · Since: 2011
The Record Centre is Ottawa's highest-reviewed shop by a wide margin, with a collection that runs past 20,000 records across rock, jazz, folk and pop alongside new and vintage audio gear. It opened a second location, The Record Centre Too, just across the street in 2022 for online order pickups and discount stock. Reviewers consistently point to the staff's knowledge and the store's role as a Hintonburg neighbourhood fixture with regular in-store performances.
2. Vertigo Records
Area: Bank Street, Centretown · Rating: 4.7 on Google (424 reviews) · Since: 2003
Vertigo carries new and used vinyl and CDs alongside turntables, concert tickets and posters, with an inventory north of 15,000 pieces spanning rock, hip-hop, soul, jazz, garage, reggae, blues and metal. It has built a reputation as one of the go-to stops for audiophiles hunting a specific pressing rather than browsing generally, and customers cite the breadth of genres as its main draw over nearly two decades in business.
3. Legend Records
Area: Westboro and Kanata (Hazeldean Mall) · Rating: 4.4 on Google (179 reviews) · Since: 1979
Legend Records is one of the city's oldest independent music stores and claims the largest used vinyl selection in Ottawa, with a combined inventory near 250,000 items including CDs, cassettes, DVDs, VHS, 8-tracks, laserdiscs and reconditioned stereo equipment. Two locations, in Westboro and Kanata, mean west-end shoppers do not have to trek downtown. Customers describe a nostalgic browsing experience and staff who are happy to talk shop.
4. Compact Music
Area: The Glebe, 785 Bank St. · Since: operating for roughly 40 years
Compact Music bills itself as Ottawa's art gallery for music, stocking more than 40,000 titles organized into genre sections that run from classical and jazz to worldbeat, offbeat, indie, alt-country and lounge. The Bank Street storefront itself has become part of the Glebe's visual identity after decades in the same spot. It suits shoppers who want a deep, well-curated crate rather than a mainstream new-release wall, and staff are frequently mentioned as helpful with hard-to-place requests.
5. The Turning Point
Area: Centretown, 411 Cooper St. · Since: 1983
The Turning Point has been buying, selling and trading used vinyl, CDs and DVDs in the Ottawa-Gatineau region for over four decades, with two floors holding more than 10,000 LPs across genres and eras. It is one of the city's go-to spots for trading in a collection rather than just buying, and its longevity on Cooper Street has made it a known quantity for generations of Ottawa collectors.
6. The ODDs & SODs Shoppe
Area: Nepean, 1400 Clyde Ave. · Rating: 4.8 on Google (472 reviews) · Since: 2015
Independently owned by Mike Pilkington, ODDs & SODs opened on Merivale Road in 2015 before moving to its current Clyde Avenue location in 2020. Alongside new and used LPs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays, it carries band tees, novelties and local event tickets, and has partnered with a local brewery on a namesake beer. It draws praise for community involvement, including ties to local radio and promoters, on top of its review score.
7. Baked Goods Record Store
Area: Baseline Road · Rating: 4.7 on Google (61 reviews) · Since: October 2023
Baked Goods is the newest name on this list, stocking vinyl, cassettes, 45s and turntables and audio equipment alongside music merchandise and art. It runs monthly Vinyl Nights with DJs, food and a tax-free midnight sale, positioning itself as much as a hangout as a retailer. For a shop only a couple of years old, its review count and rating suggest it has already built a loyal following.
8. Birdman Sound
Area: The Glebe, 593 Bank St.
Birdman Sound recently marked 25 years in business, making it Ottawa's longest-running punk record store, though its bins extend well beyond punk into experimental music, jazz and 60s and 70s bands. It suits collectors after leftfield or harder-to-find pressings rather than chart staples, and its long tenure on Bank Street has made it a landmark for the Glebe's music-shopping strip.
9. Sunrise Records (Carlingwood)
Area: Carlingwood Mall, 2121 Carling Ave. · Since: chain founded 1977
Sunrise Records is Canada's national record store chain, and its Carlingwood location carries vinyl, CDs, DVDs and merchandise spanning mainstream pop through classic rock, with one of the city's better K-pop sections. It is the pick for shoppers who want new releases and mall-hours convenience over deep-crate digging, and it sits alongside the chain's other Ottawa-area locations at Bayshore, St. Laurent, Rideau Centre and Place d'Orleans.
10. Troubadour Books & Records
Area: Centretown, 508 Bank St. · Since: 2013
Troubadour pairs a used and new bookstore with a records section, vintage posters and board games, and is known locally for its "blind date with a book" wrapped titles. Owner Tom Lee has run the small storefront since 2013, and it is a good stop for anyone who wants to pair a record hunt with a browse through secondhand books in the same visit.
How We Built This List
This list was compiled from public web sources, including store websites, Google and Yelp review data, and local coverage from Apartment613 and the Ottawa Business Journal. It is not a paid placement and no business on it is affiliated with ottown. Ratings and review counts reflect what was visible in those sources at the time of writing and may have changed since. Ottown has not visited or tested any of these businesses. Last reviewed: August 2026.
Sources: Apartment613's Ottawa record store coverage, Keep Them Spinning's Ottawa record store guide, Vinyl World's Ottawa store directory, and individual store websites for The Record Centre, Vertigo Records, Legend Records, Compact Music, The Turning Point, The ODDs & SODs Shoppe, Baked Goods, Birdman Sound, Sunrise Records and Troubadour Books & Records.
