Despite the dominance of streaming platforms, Ottawa’s independent record stores continue to see steady demand for vinyl, CDs and other physical media formats.
Vinyl record sales reached an all-time low in 2006, selling less than one million units. A revival began in 2007, and by 2023, vinyl sales totalled 49.6 million in the U.S., according to Luminate, surpassing CD sales for the first time since the ‘80s.
The Record Centre’s (TRC) John Thompson, 65, grew up in a household where records were ubiquitous. His first music purchases were 45s.
“It was always vinyl, and I was always obsessed with it,” Thompson said. “I have always loved vinyl.”
Thompson combined his passion with business when he started selling records out of his house and sourcing stock through penny-saver ads. When the vinyl resurgence exploded, he was selling on eBay as VinylCanuck but always wanted a brick-and-mortar store.
In 2011, Thompson linked up with a friend who was selling records out of the back of a video store at 1097 Wellington Street West. When the hair salon at 1099 Wellington Street West folded in 2014, Thompson kept the early twentieth-century tin ceilings and moved in.
In response to the pandemic, Thompson created TRC Too at 1112 Wellington Street West to act as an online store. Originally conceived as a temporary venture, the virtual retailer now draws close to one million hits annually, Thompson said.
There are over 400k records in Thompson’s empire, with 80k listed online and 5k in-store. TRC hosts live performances and releases recordings on its own micro-label.
In March 2026, TRC Records will release a limited vinyl of John Greer’s music, with plans for a live performance by the American octogenarian. As for the appeal of physical media, Thompson said rather than having your music “on a hard drive somewhere,” with vinyl, it’s about ownership. This is about having something you can hold.”
“It is the original listening to music. You know, really listening to music. You take the record out, and you lower the needle, you listen to it,” Thompson said. “That is a lot different than background music on your phone. It is owning music and collecting music. The internet still plays a role, but people still want to own and hold it.”
Owner of Legend Records, Mike Roy, echoed Thompson’s assertion.
“They like to own what they like. They want the format,” Roy said. “Digital has its place, but there’s a big market that still wants physical media. If they get bored of what they don’t like anymore, they can switch it up and swap it out.”
Located on the second floor of 1292 Wellington St W, Legend Records is an eclectic store that has served Ottawa’s physical media market for nearly 50 years. The store has relocated several times, from Westboro to Merivale Road, and has been at its current location for three years. Legend also operates a sister store in Hazeldean Mall.
You can find every media format at Legend, from VHS to 8-tracks and even LaserDiscs.
“I just bought one hundred [LaserDiscs] off somebody,” Roy divulged.
CDs are making a comeback with budget-conscious Gen Z physical media consumers, Roy observed.
“New vinyl releases can cost between 50 and 70 bucks. Sometimes you can buy the CD for 20 or 25. A used CD is between six and ten. This gives them a chance to build their own collection at an affordable price,” Roy said. “Same with cassettes. They’re buying cassettes again.”
The younger generation is buying CDs at Centretown’s The Turning Point (TP) in greater volume than boomers. Owner Nick Beaton said it’s a combination of the desire to own physical media and the extreme cost of living.
When you listen via physical media, you are not being tracked and monetized online. Beaton said the tangible method of consuming media from a generation ago is resonating with the new cohort of consumers.
“It’s surprising to me. They’re in here all the time buying VHS, CDs and records,” Beaton said. “It’s hard for kids with food costs and bills. I don’t want to get political, but it is reality. We’re living it.”
Beaton purchased the store from his father-in-law in 2018. Located initially at 494.5 Somerset Street West, TP moved to 411 Cooper Street in the ‘90s. In a full-circle moment, Beaton recently posted a photo to Instagram of a Les Dudek vinyl with the store’s former address stamped on the sleeve.
New vinyl pressings are expensive, and Beaton prefers to source his stock directly from individuals. This sets TP apart from other stores, as the majority of their stock is older, used, and at lower prices.
Beaton said streaming services are not comprehensive.
“There are two dozen streaming sites, but a lot of them don’t have some of the deep cuts or the boutique choices that aficionados want,” Beaton said.
“I didn’t grow up in the 60s, but a lot of the messaging is still relevant,” Beaton continued. “They wrote songs 50 years ago that stand tall today in terms of what’s going on in the world.”
A sound engineer and musician, Beaton has a new EP on Spotify with plans to release a physical version. He opens for Desert Stranger at Live on Elgin on March 21. Beaton said he’d like TP to regularly host live music in the future.
Thompson, Roy, and Beaton agree that the vinyl resurgence has recently dipped. Beaton said his store persists thanks to pockets of the population who enjoy the “tactile” music listening experience.
Beaton compared streaming media to scrolling through Netflix for hours without settling on a choice, a kind of decision paralysis. Choosing physical media, he said, is more deliberate, paralleling Thompson’s sentiment.
“When you put on a record, even if you’re not really, truly into it, you listen,” Beaton said. “It helps you stay engaged. It’s a good way to disconnect from the world for a little bit.”