LP Club and Vọc Records are two useful starting points for buying vinyl in Hanoi. Choose LP Club on Kim Ma if you want to explore Vietnamese independent releases alongside imported records and combine browsing with coffee. Consider Vọc Records in a Thai Ha alley if you want to compare new and vintage vinyl or ask about a particular pressing.
Neither shop is in the Old Quarter. Make one a deliberate stop, confirm that the records you want are physically available, and leave time to browse. A title shown online may be sold out, available only to order, or offered on CD or cassette instead of vinyl.
LP Club: local releases, imported records and coffee
Address: 174 Kim Ma, Hanoi. Published shop hours: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily. Contact: +84 904 546 883 or lpclubhn@gmail.com.
LP Club sells vinyl, CDs and cassettes, with separate selections for used recordings and its own releases. Its local catalogue is a useful way into contemporary Vietnamese music: names include Ngọt, Thắng and Hải Bột, alongside many other artists. Check the format and availability of the individual release before visiting for one album.
The record shop is upstairs from Montauk, the coffee shop at the same address. This makes it a convenient choice for a slower music-and-coffee stop, but the café’s operating hours should not be used as the record shop’s schedule. Confirm access in advance if stairs would make the visit difficult.
For a Vietnamese souvenir with a connection to current music, ask the team to suggest an available local release in a style you already enjoy. A short list of favorite artists is more useful than asking for the “best Vietnamese record.” If you collect jazz, rock or older recordings, ask which used titles you can inspect during your visit.
Best fit: listeners interested in Vietnamese independent music, shoppers open to more than one physical format, and visitors who want to combine a record-store stop with coffee.
Vọc Records: new and vintage vinyl in a neighborhood alley
Address: No. 11, Alley 133 Thai Ha, Hanoi. Save the Vietnamese version for your driver: Số 11 ngõ 133 Thái Hà. Contact: +84 973 561 497.
Vọc’s catalogue includes sealed records, vintage vinyl, Vietnamese recordings, original cassettes and turntable-related products. It also handles record orders, so distinguish an item already in the shop from one that still needs to be sourced. An imported record with a delivery lead time is a different purchase from a souvenir you can take away that afternoon.
The published 9 a.m.–9 p.m. contact window is for the telephone line. Ask for the shop’s visiting hours on your date rather than treating those telephone hours as guaranteed opening times. Send the alley address when arranging your ride and allow time to find the actual entrance.
If you are seeking a particular edition, send the artist, album and catalogue number when you contact the shop. Ask whether the copy is new or used, whether it can be held until your arrival, and whether you may inspect or hear it before paying. Listening access is something to arrange, not an automatic service attached to every purchase.
Best fit: collectors comparing new and used copies, visitors with a specific record request, and travelers comfortable arranging a shop visit before crossing the city.
Choose a record you can actually use
Start with the music and physical format. An album cover does not tell you whether the listing is a vinyl record, CD or cassette. If it is a gift, establish what the recipient can play before selecting an edition. Keep a photograph of the exact item and its label rather than relying only on the album title.
For used records, discuss the condition of the playing surface separately from the sleeve. Ask about known skips, surface noise, scratches and missing inserts, and request a short listening check if the shop can provide one. A clean-looking cover is not evidence that the record inside plays well.
Confirm the price in Vietnamese dong for that exact copy and ask about payment methods before checkout. For a preorder or delivery, agree the expected arrival, collection or shipping address, and what happens if it misses your departure. Avoid making a short Hanoi stay depend on an uncertain import arrival.
Plan the visit around your Hanoi day
Choose the shop that best matches your interest first. Kim Ma and Thai Ha are separate stops, so check the journey from your hotel and the next activity before committing to both. Leave a comfortable browsing window instead of inserting a distant shop between tightly timed sightseeing reservations.
Ask for protective packing before taking a record on to another destination. Plan where it will sit in your luggage, keep heavy items from pressing against the sleeve, and avoid leaving purchases in a hot parked vehicle. For several records, compare the shop’s packing and delivery arrangements with carrying them yourself.
A record shop visit and a live performance serve different purposes. For an evening listening to musicians, use the Hanoi live-jazz guide and book the actual show separately. Buying a local album during the day and hearing a confirmed performance at night can give you two different ways into the city’s music.