Behind the Counter Returns for 2025: The Ultimate Celebration of Independent Record Shops

22 January 2025 - Press release

- Premieres 21st January, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday leading up to Record Store Day, 12 April 2025

- The 12-part series showcases the vibrant culture of a diverse range of the UK’s most iconic independent record shops.

- In partnership with Bowers & Wilkins, Classic Album Sundays and Record Store Day UK.

Watch the first episode now!

  

The wait is over! The video series celebrating the heart of the UK’s record shop culture is finally back.

Premiering on 21st January 2025, this year’s 12-part series promises to shine a spotlight on the unique stories, passion, and dedication that make record shops the soul of their communities.

Now in its sixth season, Behind the Counter has captivated audiences with over 2.5 million views to date. It brings music fans closer to the people and places that have fuelled the vinyl revival and is a love letter to the discovery of music in its most personal form.

This season takes viewers across the UK, from Bangor to Brighton, London to Liverpool, introducing a fresh lineup of twelve record stores:

• Bending Sound, Bangor
• Capsule Records, Brighton
• Dash The Henge, London
• Lucky’s Record Bar, Cornwall
• Off The Record, Milton Keynes
• Out of the Attic, Hull
• Phoenix Sounds, Devon
• Raven Records, London
• Sound Records, Isle of Man
• Spinning Around Records, Telford
• The Musical Box, Liverpool
• Thirteen Records, Dundee

 

Each episode, premieres on Tuesdays at 10 AM GMT on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, giving fans an intimate look at the owners and their shops. 

Whether it’s running a record shop with a “pop feminist twist” (Spinning Around Records), being “the centre of metal” (Raven Records) or using music to raise important funds for the local hospice (Off The Record), there is an underlying love and passion for the vinyl format behind every shop door. Chris OC from Dash the Henge says: “Records are quite fascinating objects when you look at them. Before you truly understand what's going on, it's just magic. It's not just about collecting but it's about listening as well.”

The series comes at a time when vinyl sales continue their unprecedented growth as the Digital Entertainment & Retail Association (ERA) reported a 10.5% rise in vinyl album sales to £196 million in 2024, marking the 18^th year of growth for the format.

Overall recorded music sales reached a record-breaking £2.4 billion, with 14% of revenues deriving from physical formats, cementing the importance of physical media and record shops in today’s music landscape.

The series continues its long-term collaboration with British audio brand, Bowers & Wilkins, celebrating the impact high quality sound can have on the experience that vinyl offers.

  

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