Everyone has Spotify. So why are Singapore’s record stores packed?

Nostalgia is fuelling Singapore’s vinyl boom & record stores are reaping the rewards

When people think of vinyl records today, they often think of a niche hobby making a comeback. But Singapore’s relationship with vinyl runs much deeper.

Long before collectors were flipping through crates in neighbourhood record stores, Singapore was one of Southeast Asia’s biggest record-manufacturing hubs. By 1970, at least four major pressing plants were operating here, producing up to a million records a month before changing technologies and shifting consumer habits pushed the industry into decline.

But today, vinyl has returned—not as a manufacturing powerhouse, but as a thriving culture.

Around the world, sales have grown for 19 consecutive years, surpassing US$1 billion in the United States alone. And in Singapore, a new generation of collectors, independent record stores, and curious first-time buyers are rediscovering what streaming can’t offer: the experience of owning music.

Singapore’s vinyl revival

Singapore’s vinyl scene reflects the broader resurgence across Asia-Pacific, where the market was worth an estimated US$518 million in 2024.

But while the numbers tell one story, the revival is perhaps best seen on the ground.

Spend a weekend afternoon in Haji Lane or Joo Chiat, browse a flea market, or wander into one of the country’s independent record stores, and you’ll find people happily flipping through crates of vinyl, admiring album artwork, and chatting with fellow collectors.

Singapore has quietly become, as Curated Records founder Tremon Lim puts it, “one of the vinyl-hunting stop-bys for travellers.”

We speak to Tremon, 42, who founded the business in 2014, and Warren Choo, 31, who started Cherry Lane Records on Carousell before opening a brick-and-mortar store in Joo Chiat in 2024, about how Singapore’s vinyl scene has evolved—and why records continue to resonate in the streaming age.

More people, more stores, more noise

Tremon left a six-year career in publishing to fulfil his dream of opening a record store, launching Curated Records in a small Tiong Bahru space in 2014 before relocating to its current North Bridge Road premises in 2021. Today, the two-storey shop carries more than 2,000 records.

Warren’s path into vinyl retail was more gradual. He began by selling records from his personal collection before setting up stalls at the Katong Flea Market. After falling in love with Joo Chiat’s “vintage and warm” atmosphere, he opened Cherry Lane Records there in 2024.

Despite their different journeys, both owners have witnessed the same shift: more people are walking through their doors than ever before.

For Tremon, the biggest sign of vinyl’s resurgence is how records have moved beyond specialist stores. Cafés, electronics retailers and even musical instrument shops now stock vinyl, whether as décor or merchandise. He also believes nostalgia has played a role, as more people seek out physical objects in an increasingly digital world.

Warren, meanwhile, has watched a new generation discover older music through pop culture.

“Queen or Michael Jackson become entry points for younger listeners who may not have grown up with that music directly,” he said. “And younger collectors are not only buying old pressings from the ’70s to the ’90s, but many are also interested in new releases from current artists.”

That crossover between contemporary pop culture and vintage collecting is something both owners recognise.

Cherry Lane specialises in Southeast Asian heritage releases, jazz and classic rock, though it also carries selected new releases. Warren acknowledges that the recent boom in vinyl sales—driven in part by artists like Taylor Swift—has benefited independent record stores too.

Someone buys their first record because of a current artist, then they start digging deeper, and eventually they end up for hours in a shop like ours. Warren Choo, founder of Cherry Lane

Tremon agrees. Having spent more than a decade in the business, he has watched vinyl evolve from what was once a fringe hobby into what he calls a “mature niche,” with enthusiasm today surpassing even the resurgence of the late 2000s.

Singapore has also become a destination for collectors from overseas.

“Singapore is one of the vinyl-hunting stop-bys for travellers,” he noted. The city’s mix of local pressings, Southeast Asian records, and well-curated vintage stock has made it worth a detour for collectors passing through.

But why buy a record when everything is on Spotify?

On paper, the economics of vinyl can be difficult to justify.

A brand-new record typically starts at around S$38 in Singapore, with limited editions costing even more. Add an entry-level turntable—starting at around S$110—and it’s easy to argue that a S$12 monthly Spotify subscription offers far better value, giving listeners access to millions of songs at their fingertips.

But for most collectors, it isn’t a choice between vinyl and streaming. Instead, they’re embracing both.

Tremon notes that most vinyl collectors still subscribe to a streaming service. Streaming is where they discover new music and listen on the go, but vinyl is what they buy after deciding an album deserves a permanent place on their shelf

Streaming offers convenience. Vinyl offers an experience.

For Warren, that experience begins long before the music starts. Playing a record requires choosing an album, removing it from its sleeve, placing it on the turntable and lowering the needle. That ritual encourages listeners to slow down and give an album their full attention in a way streaming rarely does.

He believes part of the appeal also lies in the thrill of discovery.

Once a record walks out the door, there is no guarantee you will ever see that same copy again. Part of the appeal is that each record feels like something you have actually found. It is not just a file or a link. It has a history. Warren Choo, founder of Cherry Lane

There’s also the question of ownership.

Warren recalled a friend once telling him that owning a vinyl record feels permanent in a way streaming never can. Digital libraries can change as licensing agreements expire or platforms evolve, but a record on your shelf remains yours.

For many collectors, especially those buying newer releases, the appeal extends beyond the music itself. Coloured and transparent vinyl, limited editions and artist-exclusive pressings have turned records into collectible objects as much as listening formats.

Tremon noted that many of these releases are produced in limited quantities, making them highly sought-after by collectors. For some buyers, the artwork, packaging and rarity are just as much a part of the experience as the album itself.

“A permanent niche”

Both owners see vinyl as part of a broader wave of nostalgia that has also revived interest in film cameras, mechanical watches and printed books.

Warren believes what ties these hobbies together is that they demand participation. “You cannot be passive with a record the way you can with a digital playlist.”

TThat sense of intentionality, he believes, is increasingly valued in a world optimised for speed and convenience.

Far from being a passing trend, both owners believe vinyl has found its place in the modern music landscape.

Tremon, in particular, argues that vinyl is no longer experiencing a revival but has matured into a permanent niche. “Unless another music format comes along that’s even more fun than playing and collecting vinyl,” he reflected.

History has repeatedly declared vinyl obsolete—when the LaserDisc arrived, when CDs took over and when streaming appeared to remove the last reason to own physical music. Yet it has survived every technological shift.

“There must indeed be something special about it that humans just collectively, and implicitly, agree on,” Tremon said.

For now, in many homes and shops, the needle drops, and the music plays.

• Read other articles about Singaporean businesses here.

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Featured Image Credit: Cherry Lane Records/ Curated Records