Indie shops, pressing plants active
Local record shops are programming events around April 18—example: Boise’s Record Exchange has an RSD event on Saturday 4/18 and a Belle advance listening party on Friday 4/17—while Microforum Service Group runs a 60,000‑square‑foot vinyl and CD plant used for many RSD releases. ( )
Independent record stores are turning Record Store Day into a weekend of local events as April 18 approaches, while at least one major plant is already pressing many of the releases. (recordstoreday.com, goldminemag.com) Record Store Day’s official site says the 2026 event lands on Saturday, April 18, and participating stores across the United States are using the date for limited-edition drops and in-store programming. (recordstoreday.com, recordstoreday.com) In Boise, The Record Exchange posted a Record Store Day event for Saturday, April 18, and a separate “Record Store Day Eve” listening party for Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. with Moon Ruins Records and Boise Brewing. (therecordexchange.com, therecordexchange.com) That Friday event is built around AKA Belle’s forthcoming album *All Time is Now, Now is All You Have + The Time for Love is Always Now*, with The Record Exchange saying the advance spin comes ahead of an official release party at Realms Arcade on Friday, April 24. (therecordexchange.com) The national side of the event still runs on physical manufacturing. Goldmine reported on April 11 that Microforum Service Group operates a 60,000-square-foot vinyl and compact disc plant and described it as “Record Store Day’s pressing plant.” (goldminemag.com) Record Store Day says the event began with independent record store owners and employees in 2007, and the first Record Store Day was held on April 19, 2008. The organization now says nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States and thousands more internationally take part. (recordstoreday.com, recordstoreday.com) The format has expanded beyond one-day shopping. Record Store Day says its 2022 partnership with Atlantic Records created a New Artist Series built around in-store appearances, signings and performances, giving stores another reason to program events around release dates. (recordstoreday.com) This year’s official list is already set: Record Store Day says the special 2026 titles will be released at participating stores on April 18. For shops like The Record Exchange, that means the business now stretches from the listening party on April 17 to the line outside on April 18. (recordstoreday.com, therecordexchange.com)
