Record Store Day drops April 18

Record Store Day returns on Saturday, April 18, with nearly 360 limited-run titles headed to participating independent shops. (recordstoreday.com) The official Record Store Day site says the releases will be sold first at brick-and-mortar stores, not through the event’s website, and stores choose their own orders title by title. The site also says there are no pre-orders for the special releases. (recordstoreday.com) If a store sells out on April 18, organizers say shops may put remaining copies on their own websites or marketplace accounts starting Sunday, April 19. The 2026 list is split into Exclusive, Record Store Day First, and Small Run or Regional categories. (recordstoreday.com) This year’s event lands as vinyl keeps growing in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America said 2025 vinyl revenue topped $1 billion, rose 9.3% from 2024, and marked a 19th straight year of growth. (riaa.com) The same report said vinyl generated 46.8 million units in 2025, compared with 29.5 million compact discs, and brought in more than three times as much revenue as compact discs. Overall recorded-music revenue reached a record $11.5 billion. (riaa.com) Record Store Day began in 2008 after independent store owners and employees organized it in 2007, according to the event’s pre-order page. The site says there are now participating stores in the United States and internationally. (recordstoreday.com) Bruno Mars is the 2026 Record Store Day ambassador. Organizers announced him on January 30 and paired the role with an exclusive release called *Collaborations*. (recordstoreday.com) Music outlets are already steering collectors toward a few likely hot sellers. Billboard’s critic’s picks include releases from The Cure and Bruce Springsteen, while its story says the official list runs to nearly 360 titles. (billboard.com) What Hi-Fi’s early shortlist points readers to titles from The Cure, Nas, Miles Davis and Pavement, a sign that this year’s chase records span pop, hip-hop, jazz and indie rock. The scramble itself starts when stores open on April 18. (cashwalklabs.io)