Plug Seven Records

Great selection. Most records are appropriately priced. The sale section has had some gems. Nice staff

Originally a pop-up along one of Melbourne’s hippest streets, Plug Seven has evolved into a permanent fixture on the scene and risen to the upper echelon of record stores in Australia. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to put this store on any global list of best record stores. Its staying power can be attributed to its owner Ari’s passion for tracking down records from the farthest reaches of the globe. He’s got an impressive knowledge of obscure African and Japanese rarities in particular. Staff are always keen to strike up a conversation with any music lover and this approachable personality makes their Plug Seven Drop e-newsletter always worth reading. It’s the OGs (originals) that are the biggest draw and your best chances at finding an excellent condition copy of whatever wish list item you have is here. Any reissues tend to be re-pressings of extremely rare records that have just come back into press for the first time. Whitewashed walls, exposed brick and sunlight beaming through the windowed storefront make for a supremely relaxing and enjoyable digging experience reminiscent of Japanese shops, not offered anywhere else in the city. The street-facing listening station allows you to conveniently preview whatever you’ve got in your stack-o-wax. There’s also a backyard space they open up for BBQs and special events like Record Store Day. But even with so much heat in the crates and on the walls, the prices are never unreasonable or overvalued. You’d have a hard time getting a better price on an import without booking a flight to Ethiopia or Tokyo. The diverse staff at Plug Seven are a mix of DJs, collectors and musicians who cover all genres and sounds. In addition to being arguably the best curated store in the country, another thoughtful element is its offering of record paraphernalia and bric-a-brac – from storage and cleaning solutions, to branded totes and t-shirts. Even if you find what you’ve been looking for forever, you never know what else you might leave with after a visit to Plug.

Straight up one of my favourite places. Amazing selections at very reasonable prices, this place caters to do many of my musical tendancies, the staff are knowledgeable and importantly in this space, approachable! Wicked sound system too!

Super friendly staff. Lots of jazz and Japanese city pop collection. Would definitely come back if I ever visit Melbourne again :)

Great little shop with awesome selection of vinyl new and old a little gem and nice service and helpful. Cheers Wazza

Amazing record store, the lady who was running the place knew lots about jazz. I gave her my tough want-list and immediately she pulled out 6 from it from different parts of the shelves and crates.I gave her a couple of names of some Finnish jazz-bands (Mopo and Verneri Pohjola) and she told she had played Pekka in her radio show!She also knew lots of international record stores (in London (Hi Jean-Luc!) and in Paris).Will most definately return, awesome place.

As a visitor to Melbourne, the plethora of record stores is wonderful but also intimidating when looking for a place to start digging. I can recommend Plug Seven as a place to start with, and return to. There is a huge range of rare (great original African and Japanese stuff just as a sample) and quality new records. The service is tops! They had time to chat about music and even pointed me to a good place nearby for a coffee and sanga. :)

A really extensive collection of jazz, hip hop, funk and soul. One of the great record stores of Melbourne. AND, they were happy to give me a refund when I accidentally purchased the same record I'd purchased already. Respect - I'll definitely be coming back and spending my $$$ on vinyl from here.

I go often to this store and they have the best staff, service and selection of vinyls. I received a call today from Sarah (The best!) to make me aware of a few restocks of a producer that I love. They go above and beyond with their customer service, and I very much appreciated the call and love that they have their customers at the forefront of their minds. Best local store for vinyls, and I will continue to buy from them!!! You guys are the best!

great store, really good selection of genres in new releases, and plenty of second-hand and rarities to make it a worthwhile regular dig. the counter person was friendly, knowledgeable, and appreciates correct sleeve useage. i.e. japanese. they stock a whole heap of sleeves and other record playing ephemera too which was very handy. will definitely be back next time i'm in town.