AIMS stores are located coast to coast and their membership currently stands at 29 stores in 21 cities. They are not a chain, but rather an association of independent stores working together to benefit their customers and record label partners. They have a wide selection of music that goes far deeper than most mass-market retailers (including formats such as vinyl and DVDs at most of their stores). Through their combined efforts they are also able to work with record labels to bring consumers special issue CDs that you simply cannot find at any chain store. The site gives you store contact information for all 29 stores where you can contact them to try to get your music in those stores.
Location: Los Angeles, CA 90028
Ameoba Music in Los Angeles is the World’s largest independent music store selling what seems to be and endless selection of indie and alternative music. Contact Ameoba for in-store information.
Ameoba Music in San Francisco has been voted as one of the best record stores in the country multiple times, selling a fantastic selection of independent music. Contact Ameoba for in-store performance information.
Location: Berkeley, CA 94704
Ameoba Music in Berkeley is the first store of the three, beginning an independent music empire. Contact Ameoba for in-store performance information.
ALTERNATIVE DISTRIBUTION ALLIANCE
Location: New York, NY 10104
ADA is a full service, independent national distributor whose services include: National distribution of music with a knowledgeable sales force spread across the country, digital preparation, distribution and marketing, co-operative advertising planning and placement, manufacturing and printing of music (CD,DVD,vinyl), warehousing, and inventory management, full suite of financial reporting and marketing tools for distributed labels including a B2B web site.
Location: Richmond, VA 23225
BK music in Richmond is an independently owned store selling CDs, DVDs and vinyl of local and unsigned artists. Contact BK for inquiries regarding a performance and appearance while on tour.
Location: Minneapolis, ME 55440
Best Buy has a program called “Find ‘Em First” where you sell your CD in a local Best Buy Store and their online store. They are trying to find regional up and coming unsigned bands for this program and have chosen over 100 artists so far. We take you to the page that shows you how to submit your music for free. If you are chosen you can be in as little as 2 stores to 100’s. There is a one time $250 set up fee if chosen. All sales are on consignment and you get paid $5.15 per album as they sell them.
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo, CA offers fans a large selection of independent music, as well as movies and clothing in their locally operated store. Contact Boo Boo for setting up a live performance and appearance in their store.
Location: Portland, ME 04101
Bull Moose runs a small record store empire in the Northern New England area with 8 stores in Maine and 2 in New Hampshire. Bull Moose sells CDs, movies and vinyl of independent artists. They also host bands for acoustic or live sets in one of their 10 locations, contact for information.
Location: Lexington, KY 40508
CD Central is Kentucky’s hub for new and used CDs and vinyl for independent and local music. For a performance or an appearance, contact the store.
Location: Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Central Square Records in Santa Rosa Beach, FL is a beach side store selling CDs, DVDs, and vinyl of independent and local artists. They also maintain a very active blog on their website regarding albums they keep in the store. For a live performance in store, contact Central Square.
Location: Houston, TX 77098
Cactus Music in Houston offers customers a selection of albums and movies of local and independent musicians. For information regarding an in-store performance or appearance, contact Cactus.
CHESTER COUNTY BOOK & MUSIC CO.
Location: West Chester, PA 19380
Chester County Book and Music Co. is a small store in West Chester, PA, selling CDs, DVDs, and vinyl of independent musicians. For an appearance, contact the store for details.
The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a group of some of the best independent music stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995; its current membership is made up of 29 accounts that handle 59 stores in 21 states. Many of the accounts have been recognized by the music industry and their local communities for their outstanding dedication to customer service and developing artist support. They give information on how to get your records into their stores.
Location: Atlanta, GA 30307
Criminal Records in Atlanta sells a wide selection of CDs, DVDs, and vinyl of independent and local artists. For information about an in-store performance or album signing, contact Criminal Records.
Location: Washinton, DC 20009
Crooked Beat is a record store in Washington DC that sells a variety of independent and local music and movies. Contact Crooked Beat for information regarding a live in-store performance or apperance while on tour.
Location: Dearborn, MI 48124
Dearborn Music has a huge selection of musical genres, but also sells indie CDs, vinyl and movies. Contact Dearborn Music for info regarding an in-store performance.
Location: Sacramento, CA 95825
Dimple Records has 6 Northern California locations, all selling a selection of CDs, movies and vinyl of independent and local artists. For in store performances and appearances, contact Dimple.
Location: Knoxville, TN 37920
Disc Exchange in Knoxville offers CDs, DVDs and vinyl of various local and independent musicians.
Location: Winston-Salem, NC 27103
With a store in North Carolina and two more in South Carolina, Earshot sells CDs, movies and vinyl of independent and local artists. Contact Earshot for information regarding a store performance or appearance.
Location: Austin, TX 78704
End of an Ear in Austin offers fans a huge selection of independent and local CDs, movies and vinyl. For in-store events contact End of an Ear.
Location: Champaign, IL 61820
Exile on Main is a small boutique record store selling music and movies of many independent and local artists in Champaign, Il. To set up an in-store performance and appearance while on tour, contact the store.
Location: St. Louis, MO
Euclid Records is a large store in St. Louis that sells albums and movies of independent musicians and artists. For an in store performance while on tour or other information contact Euclid.
Location: New Orleans, LA 30117
Euclid Records in New Orleans is a large store selling music and movies of independent artists. Contact for live in-store performances and appearances while on tour.
Location: Bowling Green, OH 43402
Finders Records in Bowling Green, OH is an entirely independent music store selling CD, records and movies of the lesser heard side of the arts industry.
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
With 6 Utah locations, Graywhale has build itself as one of the most prominent record stores selling CDs, movies and vinyl of independent and local artists. Contact for in-store live performance and appearance while on tour.
Location: Nashville, TN 37203
Grimey’s of Nashville is a small store selling new and used CDs, DVDs, and vinyl of independent and local artists. They frequently host in-store performances for bands rolling through Nashville, contact the store for details.
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
With three Oklahoma City area locations, Guestroom Records sells albums and movies of local and independent artists. Contact the store for information regarding an in-store performance while on tour.
Location: Omaha, NE 68102
Homer’s Music in Omaha is a record store selling music and movies of independent and local artists and musicians. Contact for live in-store performance and appearance information while on tour.
Location: Tempe, AZ 85238
Hoodlums Music is a neighborhood music store in the Phoenix area selling CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local artists. Contact Hoodlums for setting up a performance in their store.
Location: Boston, MA 02215
In Your Ear in Boston has long been a staple for beantown music fans with their simple approach of selling used and new music of independent and local artists. In Your Ear has two more locations, one In Cambridge, Ma and another in Providence, RI.
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
With their 7 Colorado locations, Independent Records and Video offers fans a huge selection of independent and local music and movies. Contact the store to play a performance or make an appearance in one of their locations while on tour.
Location: Red Bank, NJ 07701
Jack’s Music Shoppe in Red Bank, NJ is a smaller store selling music and instruments of and to independent artists. Contact the store for information regarding an in-store performance or appearance whilst on tour.
Location: Portland, OR 97214
With two Portland stores, Jackpot Records a huge selection of CDs, vinyl, and DVDs of independent music and art. Contact the store for info on an in-store while on tour.
Location: Indianapolis, IN 46220
Luna Music in Indy offers music fans a huge selection of independent and local music and movies. Contact Luna for information regarding an in-store performance and appearance.
Location: Charlotte, NC 28205
Lunchbox Records in Charlotte, NC offers nothing but quality independent and local music. They frequently host bands for in-store performances and appearances while on tour.
Location: San Diego, CA 92103
M-Theory in Sand Diego has an affinity for selling CDs, DVDs and vinyl of indie, alternative, and local musicians. Contact M-Theory for info regarding a live performance or an in-store appearance while on tour in Southern California.
Location: Charleston, SC 29407
Monster Music in Charleston is South Carolina’s indie, local and alternative music store, selling a huge selection of CDs, vinyl and DVDs. Contact for an in-store appearance or a live performance while on tour.
Location: Brighton, MA 02135
Offers a consignment program where you give them your CD’s for free and as they sell them you get paid. They have 27 retail locations in the New England States. You get about 70% of what the consumer pays.
Location: Orlando, FL 32803
Park Ave CDs of Orlando sells CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local musicians. Contact for information on a live performance or album signing.
Location: Richmond, VA 23220
Plan 9 Music has two Virginia locations, selling the CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local artists. Plan 9 is very active in the music community of Va and often has artists come into the store for a live performance or other promotion while on tour.
Location: Princeton, NJ 08542
Princeton Exchange is an independently owned and operated store buying and selling music and movies of indie, alternative and local music (among other genres).
Location: Newark, DE 18711
Rainbow Records in Newark, DE has established itself as one of the largest CD, DVD and vinyl duplication and production companies in the country. Rainbow also sells a great variety of independent and local music.
Location: Berkeley, CA 94704
With 9 Northern California locations, Rasputin Music is a large sized seller of CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local musicians. Rasputin frequently brings in talent into one of their locations for a live performance or appearance while on tour, contact store for details.
Location: Philadelphia, PA 19147
Rep Records in Philadelphia is an old-school records store selling CDs, vinyl and movies of independent and local artists.
Location: Huntington Beach, CA 92615-5232
Rev Distribution has been providing independent retailers and distributors with a one-stop solution for punk, hardcore, indie, rock, emo and metal music including hard-to-find releases.
Location: Missoula, MT 59801
Rockin Rudy’s in Missoula is an independent records store selling CD, DVDs, vinyl and other merchandise. Contact for live in-stores while on tour in Montana.
Location: Raleigh, NC 27607
Schoolkids is a small record store that buys and sells independent and local music and movies in Raleigh.
Location: Seattle, WA 98109
Silver Platters of Seattle boasts 3 location in the metropolitan area, all selling and buying local and independent music and movies. Silver Platter often has artists come into the stores for a live performance while on tour, contact for details.
Location: Madison, WI 53711
Madison’s Strictly Discs is a small but very able record store, selling a variety of CDs and vinyl of local and independent artists.
Location: Seattle, WA 98107
Sonic Boom Records in Seattle is a record mecca of the Northwest, buying and selling independent and local music and movies. Sonic Boom also has artists come in for in-stores frequently, contact the store for details.
Location: Baltimore, DE 21231
The Sound Garden, or otherwise known as ‘The CD Joint’ has two locations, one in Syracuse, NY and another, the flagship store in Baltimore. The store buys and sells CDs, DVDs, and vinyl of independent and local music. Contact for setting up a live in-store performance or appearance while on tour.
Location: Phoenix, AZ 85013
Stinkweeds of Phoenix in an indie record store selling music and movies of the lesser noticed talent. For setting up an in-store, contact Stinkweeds.
Location: San Francisco, CA 94114
Streetlight Records offers the Bay Area three locations all selling a variety of music and movies of independent and local artists. Contact Streetlight for information on setting up a live in-store appearance or performance.
Location: Hattiesburg, MS 39401
T-Bones Records in Hattiesburg is a cafe-store combo selling a great selection of CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local artists. T-Bones often has groups come on for live performances while on tour, contact for details.
Location: Minneapolis, MN 55404
The Electric Fetus is a record store in Minneapolis that sells CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local artists. Contact the store for information regarding in-store performances and appearances while on tour. Electric Fetus also has locations in Deluth and St. Cloud, MN.
Location: Milwaukee, WI 53202
The Exclusive Company located in Milwaukee and 7 other cities across Wisconsin is a record store offering a variety of CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local artists. Contact one of the locations for information regarding an in-store performance or appearance while on tour.
Location: Denver, CO 80206
Twist and Shout Records in Denver sells CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent and local musicians. They also frequently bring in bands for in-studio performances, contact for details.
Location: Austin, TX 78703
Waterloo Records in Austin is an independent music store selling indie, local, and alternative music. Contact Waterloo for setting up a live in-store performance or appearance while on tour in Austin.
Location: Las Vegas, NV 89102
Zia Records in Las Vegas is one of there 8 Southwest locations selling CDs, DVDs and vinyl of independent artists.