Breakaway Records

Breakaway Records is a vinyl lover’s dream. The store is packed with records, as well as audio and video cassettes, DVD discs, and even turntables. Whether you’re a serious collector or just someone who enjoys flipping through old records, the atmosphere here is something special. Even if you don’t plan on buying anything, it’s a cool place to explore—there’s something about holding these older formats that gives a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for music history. They also carry modern vinyl releases, so it’s not just for retro collectors. We checked out the international section, which was mostly filled with records from Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, and Japan, but it could definitely use some expansion. Unfortunately, we didn’t find anything that really resonated with us. Overall, it’s a great store with a strong selection and a unique vibe. Definitely worth a visit!

Awesome place to pickup a blast of yesterday.. relaxing and just walking in makes you feel good about life again

Really good selection (especially love the Texas artists section). The employees were super knowledgeable and kind. Definitely see it as a place to go and find some staples. We weren’t able to find two of the albums we were looking for, but both were not super mainstream and contemporary picks. Would go here to look for hip hop specifically. Great atmosphere.

Great record store. Good selection, the have record players and speakers for sale. The even needle cartridges. Fun place.

It's a beautiful store with chill vibes. Man, I asked the person's name two times and I still can't remember it (middle age problems). That person in the hifi section gave me some great advice and the prices seemed honest and friendly. I never met bad person that loved music, so go in and talk to someone in the store.

Breakaway is amazing!!! So many unique records, great staff too! Great way to support remaining record shops. I love how organized they are too and the area is a vibe

Stylish and warm decor, you will find audio equipment and a nice selection of records in different genres. Medium-sized store.

Great shop, awesome selection, very nice selection of used audiophile equipment, great staff - what more could you ask for?

Found this fantastic record shop on the way to a local pottery store (ATX Pottery) and had to stop in on the way back. There's a bit shared (free) parking lot in front that a few businesses use. The lot was pretty full, but we found a spot quickly. The record store is extremely well organized. Every genre imaginable is clearly labeled, and then within each genre, specific artists are alphabetized. I was genuinely so impressed by the level of organization in this place. It made findings things so much easier. After perusing the aisles for a while, we entered the second "room" in the store, which had a massive sale section. All the records in this section were $3. We found several we loved and ended up leaving with ~8 different records from the store (only 3 from the sale section). Very happy with the selection here, and will definitely be back!

It's been three years since my former review so I thought I'd add a post Covid review. Much of what I said in the former review still stands, but I thought I would add a few more photos and some comments. I usually come here every other week and there's always something new in the new arrival bins You'll also find blank cassette tapes, tons of 45's, posters, VHS tapes, framed albums and rare and collectible records featured on their walls for sale. You'll also find a good selection of vintage stereo equipment and turntables. They do have a sale table that sits outside the front door filled with 45s, CDs and tapes. Open 11-7 every day.

They had a good selection of records with various genres. Newer/well known artist priced higher (which was expected) but there were some good finds for $3.99-$10. customer service was okay. Parking available and shared with a couple other stores in the lot.

I love this shop nestled in shopping strip with coffee shop and vintage shop on North loop. They have some dedicated parking spots which is nice because this area is very popular. They have a wide selection of records to choose from. The staff is very helpful and non-judgmental. I really enjoy the atmosphere and the selection. I was able to find an album that I looked at several other stores for. I will definitely be back!

Nice store. I had a little trouble finding something at first, but then I ended up with a half dozen albums. There's plenty of new titles at average prices like you can get anywhere, but there were some interesting titles in the markdowns and used bins that were definitely worth the trip. In town from Chicago, and was hoping to find Chicago/Texas blues, but ended up with a bunch of other stuff that I couldn't pass up. I'll definitely stop here again if I'm in town and recommend anyone looking for records in Austin put them on their short list of places to stop at.

Gabe's rude and unpleasant behavior towards paying customers will convince you to go somewhere else. I've sat at the coffee shop and watched him get ugly with folks who park in his parking area or anywhere he thinks they shouldn't park. He'll come out and tell you he has written permission from the property owner to kick anyone off the property. Does that mean he can kick the property owner off the property too? Hmm... I've been a customer here but wouldn't risk it anymore. Best thing to do is park somewhere else (or go somewhere else). Being his customer is not enough. Have a look at the friendly little signs he has posted. WTH is wrong with this guy?

Super cool spot! They have a great selection of many genres despite being a smaller shop. Their service is amazing and the friendly staff are always around to chat or answer questions. They have a listening station where you can check the quality of a record before you buy and also a great selection of discount records and cds and tapes.

An amazing place with amazing people. They were so kind, courteous, quick, and fun. I had a lot of heavy boxes to bring in and immediately the front clerk volunteered to help me bring them in. Had a quick turnaround on the pricing and it was more than fair fair. Now the embarrassing part of the story. I had my partner collect the money for me while I took the empty boxes out to our car. When we got home I counted the money and thought I'd been shortchanged. I called the store to discuss this. The manager was very courteous and in fact was the person who had paid us for the records. He pointed out that he had paid with '50s, which I'm not used to seeing anymore, and I realized I had taken them to be 20's. I'm an idiot. He was so polite and patient with me as I processed this. Please please please, go buy records here. As for me, I'm signing up for remedial math.

There's something satisfying about physically searching for music. You don't know what you'll find from tons of records here to choose from all organized by genre. You can get pricy rare records and bargain bin records around $3 too. Take an afternoon and enjoy the moment searching for music.

Excellent record store. I find gems every time I come through here. Lots of different flavors.

Wow! What gem we found on our vacation! Although we didn't buy anything, we loved the vibe! So great to see old school albums I grew up on listening to music and to be able to share what things do on the record players to my young adults. They loved looking through the albums and we talked about the artists and they know a lot from me and grandparents so they are well versed on music. Would definitely return again when we visit Austin!! Support local business!

Can not say enough good things about this shop. Excellent staff and fantastic layout. The records are meticulously organized by genre and group. Wonderful new arrivals section that was amply full of sweet records. I also noticed that they had a decent amount of vintage stereo equipment. Pricing was pretty fair in that it reflected the mid range price point on used items. My only complaint is watch for potholes in the parking lot!

Was able to check out this great record shop a good variety a lot of 45s a bonus ! Friendly staff !

Very good store. Great selection. Prices were average compared to other record stores. I think records are completely overpriced in general as it's become a hip and trendy thing to listen to vinyl again. I prefer finding used records and not reprinted ones from my youth. They had a good selection. We will be back when in the neighborhood

We visited this record store while in visiting Austin. Being from Omaha we are blessed with some amazing local record stores. This record store was clean, staff were friendly, and prices were good. Nothing super cool or unique but just a solid record store. Definitely worth checking out.

Cute shop but the vast majority of records I saw were brand new and sealed. I could order brand new records to my door if that's what I wanted - it's nice to experience finding pre-loved vinyl!

This was a nice store, everything was well laid out and categorized. Large selection of cassettes and 45's. Mostly new and used vinyl. It was fun to look around but I didn't find anything I couldn't live without. I found the staff to be less than friendly.

I've been shopping here for a while, so this breaks my heart to say this but the tall, bearded co-owner really killed my entire vibe on record store day 2022-it soured my mood to a high degree. If this man talks to his employees like he talked to me, this place is not it. To the employees of this place, I'm sorry your boss is slightly a dick. Record Store day is stressful I understand, but I was literally the first person in line and had waited longer than anyone. I was excited! Though, this was not met with enthusiasm from the co-owner. With the opening lines of "I am grumpy in the mornings," he told me that my music I was playing on a portable speaker was distracting him from the music playing in the store, though the store door was closed and locked. This could have been said in a nice way, but it came across really aggressively condescending. To a point where when he walked away people in line came up to me to discuss what just happened, and to say that they felt uncomfortable with how he spoke to me and was staring me down. They also corroborated that the music was not loud. Shout out to the man who left the line because he was boycotting this store after the interaction, and said he knows the other co-owner, and was going to speak about it to him. Note to Breakaway, why send out the person who is self admittedly "grumpy in the mornings" to talk to people who have been waiting in line for hours and want to support you? Make it make sense. Now a day that was supposed to be fun kinda has been tarnished. :/ Furthermore, when I was inside the store I asked the employees if my music was really that loud. They told me they didn't hear my music at all. Bruh! All the employees helped me find what I was looking for today, thank you to the team. Y'all were sweet. But Idk y'all, support local record stores but the burly bearded co-owner gave me a reason to stay away.

I was referred to this store by Tapehead Electronics. They suggested I check this place out if I was looking for quality vintage speakers for my turntable. Not only does this place have a great collection of records but they have a wicked selection of vantage turntables, receivers and other electronics. The staff was extremely helpful with answering the hundreds of questions I was asking about speakers. I'm new to the vintage world of vinyl so, I wanted to make sure I get some good speakers for my turntable and also what was going to be the best way to build my stereo. Gabe, was very knowledgeable of all things related to stereos and didn't mind helping me out one bit. He let me test out as many speakers as I wanted. He also made sure to explain the best was to set them up to my receiver. I ended up getting some acoustic speakers and they sound great! Over all I have never had such great service in any record store the whole staff was friendly and welcoming. I'm excited to start growing my collection of vinyl and this is the only place I plan to shop for records. I had also been searching for a great place where I could take my father who is an old vinyl collector. From the moment we walked in the staff was extremely helpful and friendly. My father is disabled and I was worried that the staff might treat him differently, but they we very patient with him and walked around searching for records with him. They made him feel welcomed and he enjoyed talking with them about his old collection. I'm new to the vinyl world and I had

A good friend of mine introduced me to breakaway one weekend and I absolutely loved it. Breakaway is in a local shopping lot that has a coffee shop, thrift store, and local set up tables of people selling various merchandise. It's a very homey spot. Breakaway has a fantastic of old AND new records and completely separates their records from genre to bands. It made looking around really satisfying. My find of the evening was an original "A night at the opera" album by Queen. They're prices are about what you can expect from an Austin record shop ranging from 5$ to most of them being 20-30$

Super helpful and excellent prices and great selection! I found some great Elvis records! Easily sorted too!

My love for Breakaway has been a slow burn. It's taken years for this record store to become my favorite. I used to casually stop by after getting coffee at Epoch. Nothing serious. Just harmless rock like Elvis Costello. Then, I took our relationship to the next level. I showed up for Record Store Day. Soon, I found myself following them on Facebook. I was posting pictures of my finds. I was buying things for my guy (he was into it, totally). Now, I think about Breakaway when I'm at other record stores... and I feel guilty. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I love Breakaway. Maybe it's their categories: guilty pleasures, rainy day albums, date night music, employee picks, rarities. Maybe it's that their records are so reasonably priced. It may even be more basic than all of that. Maybe it's simply because I always find something. I guess I could say I've never left unsatisfied. besides records, they also sell stereo equipment, t-shirts, posters & sometimes cases or shelves. The staff is aloof but helpful, if that makes sense. RSD was very calm & organized here, even with a literal storm brewing overhead. Overall, I would say the store projects a quiet sense of confidence & inner peace (like the nerdy, bookish type who secretly knows how attractive they are). Breakaway, I heart you, you humble heartthrob of a record store.

Don't sell your records to Breakaway Records. They will rip you off with a smile on their face.

One of my boyfriend's and my traditions is to go to a record store any time we travel so he can get something to add to our collection. I looked up the highest rated record store in the area, and we ended up here. They have a ton of variety, and had some rare finds that made my boyfriend audibly gasp with joy. There are multiple listening stations and an area in the back where you can purchase your very own record player to take home. They also have wall displays of cassettes and a bookcase full of old VHS (Star Wars, Wizard of Oz, etc.), which were fun to browse through. The thing that makes this place is what I witnessed the staff do. A middle aged couple came in with their elementary-aged daughter, who lit up when she saw HELP and asked her dad if they could get it to add to her Beatles collection. She then went from case to case looking at records, and got very excited when she saw the George Strait section. One of the employees stopped what he was doing to go over and tell her they just got a new one in and they walked around together looking for it. They spent the next 10 minutes browsing records together and picked out a few together for her to purchase. She left the store when we did, with a bag full of new records. I also watched an employee walk a little boy over to a toy area and tell him he could take one thing with him. It's a very cool way to engage children while their parents browse the store. The only thing that stinks about this place is the parking is WILD. The space is shared by the store, a coffee shop, and a thrift store, and there was absolutely nowhere to park. There's additional parking in the back, but only enough room for one car to get by, meaning if someone is going in no one can go out. We ended up getting a spot, but then had to take 15 minutes to puzzle together how to back out without bopping another car. When we come visit, we'll definitely come back. Maybe we'll just park somewhere else and walk over.

This is a pretty cool chill place. I am pretty new to records and had a hard time finding stuff the first time I went here. The 2nd time however I walked out with about 5. I noticed on the price tags they buy a lot from Half Price books right up the road, so look there first if you want a real bargain. Obviously, you pay a finders fee on some stuff here, and to me that's ok.

We had fun looking at all the old records and cassettes, saw some artists we hadn't thought of in quite a while.

When brainstorming for an unexpected gift for my husband on his birthday, Yelp really pulled through for me. It's always been a goal of mine to own a turntable. Though I grew up with one and enjoy playing vinyls on friends players, I never took the plunge. Inevitably, the perfect time presented itself to purchase one for our home. And so incited my vinyl record store quest. After a search on Yelp, I decided on Breakaway Records. A little intimidated as I'm no turntable or vinyl record aficionado - merely a music lover and admirer of people with deep knowledge on the topic. So, you can imagine how relieved I was when they were nothing but nice, welcoming, and educational they were. The gentleman walked me through every aspect of the turntable, phono preamp, and even suggested which used model to go with. I definitely would have made a mistake with my purchase without his guidance. We now have a sturdy and durable Technics turntable to call our own, and to make our house even more a home. My husband loved it.

I accidentally came 10 minutes after closing but the man working here still helped me find a needle for my record player!! I'm so appreciative. :)

This is my go to record shop. I just got into the game but this is where I bought my turntable (did research), I was going to buy it off Amazon but they had it in stock and I would rather support local. They have a great selection and helpful staff!

Great place! Cool vinyl related things! So excited about my bowl made from a colored vinyl. Selection is decent but how it was all categorized is a bit odd for me. Nice people, wish I had more time to spend here and wish they had more vinyl. Definitely will be back here when I come back to Austin!

Breakaway records was good but I wasn't head over heels in love with the staff or prices. I have a break down of how I rate a record tore and this is what it is: 1. Mark Up and Cost of Records - This is two parts to this category here. When I visited David Bowie just passed and they marked up his records. Bluntly by sticking a tag over the original price tag and it was a lot more. Also this was within days of his passing. That being said almost all the new records were a bit on the heavy side. They have a discount section and that's where my goldmine was. I ended up getting a Star Wars orchestra record for two bucks. That's why they get 4 stars is their bargain section was on point. 2. Quality of Records and Assortment - Records are all in excellent shape. The discounts are perfect as well as their regular priced stuff. 3. Lay Out and Organization - The lay out is decent. It's spaced out enough. You can grab a coffee next door and chill while picking things out. 4. Displays or Store Recommendations - I believe they had a playing station that allowed you to play things. I didn't see a recommendation section. 5. Staff Interactions - I tried talking to the cashier about their selection and he was completely uninterested in answering questions or anything. It's cool... I guess. I'm not looking for happy go lucky but if I am brining up something about records I'd expect people to be responsive at least. They seemed a little quiet I guess but it is what it is. I recommend this store for their bargain section of awesome records.

Great prices and great customer service! I've been looking for a pair of tower speaker and they had a great selection. They also a great selection of turntables and receivers. I ended up buying a pair floor speakers and they sound great! I'll be going back very soon!

I try to visit this place everytime I am in Austin. They were playing an album and i wanted it. I knew one of the songs, but not the artist. The guy behind the counter told me who it was and then helped me find the album to purchase. It is not an overhwlmingly huge place like some other record stores I have been in, which makes it feel more invitinf.

I go here all the time and the people that work here are so kind. the covid restrictions are being used which i love. great environment!

Be warned...especially parents, watch out - upon entering, you'll likely be greeted with explicit, vulgar, and extremely disturbing music (lyrics) playing in the store. I am a long-time customer of Breakaway and up until this past year I've had good shopping experiences but my last few visits were very disappointing. During my most recent visits the guy working the counter subjected customers to the most vulgar, offensive and disturbing lyrics that I've ever heard. I had hoped that the 1st two times I encountered this that it was a just an occasional poor choice made by a new employee; clearly now this is not the case. When this happened yesterday evening, I thought that the clerk would at least change the music when he saw me (a woman) enter to shop - nope, not only did he not change it but he even turned it over to play the other equally offensive side! After all the other shoppers left, I approached the counter to make my purchase and I told the guy "Given the thousands of music albums you have to chose from, I'm baffled as to why you would play one that's so vulgar" - the guy just looks at me and snaps off "I happen to like it!". Shocked by his response, I then stated "So your customer's feelings don't matter?" - his reply "You're entitled to your opinion"...oh, ok great so the message I got was: Too bad lady, so somewhere else. Then, a moment later my husband (who is equally unhappy about the music playing in the store) approached the counter next to me and then this same jerk told me, in a completely different tone, "If you ever have an issue with the music playing in the store, all you have to do is tell us at the counter and we'll try to accommodate you"...really?? I told him I did just that a second ago and his attitude and response was too bad, I like it. Common sense should dictate that if you don't want me to speak to you using the terms Mother F***er, B*tch, a$$, P*ss*, or the N-word - DON"T PLAY IT IN YOUR STORE. I called the store this morning and spoke to "one of the owners", Josh and he told me that "they all grew up with that type of music" but typically try to change it if a woman or child walks in. However, now they may consider changing their policy to not playing in the store at all. For the sake of their unsuspecting customers, I hope they eliminate it completely.

I have been to a lot of record stores as an Austin tourist and as an Austin local...So what do I know about "Breakaway Records"? Well I know it's the BEST record store I've been to, just depends on what your looking for.....

This is the best record store in Austin. I buy tons of 45's here. Everyone is really nice, and their staff recommendation section has produced some gems for my collection.

You can tell the owners are true hip hop heads, the selection is stellar. Love the whole vibe of this store, it's my favorite record shop in Austin. I wish the listening stations were a little more cozy and placed in low traffic places in the store; you're sitting at an end of isle amongst shoppers with headphones on and it feels awkward. There's a 10 minute time limit at the stations, but they're always unused from the times I've been there. But hey, im not a record store owner and maybe people have really abused the privilege but I'll just say as a true digger I'd appreciate a more comfortable listening experience.

They have a great jazz section, listening stations, and very friendly staff. I was looking for a particular record and they had it which made it a great experience for me.

Next time I'm coming here first. My friend was in town, and he wanted to do some record shopping. OK, fine, I haven't bought any wax for a while, so I'm game. After taking him to the places on the South side, he had spent a mint and I hadn't scored at all. The places were all either too spendy or the vinyl was thrashed. Then, it was, "OK, one last place." And what a wise decision. Great selection, clean and cheap! My buddy was all spent out and was kicking himself for buying stuff at other shops that could have been procured here more cheaply. Me? I left with a few new platters to scatter as I make with the drinks and chatter. Daddy-o.

Yours truly--a self-avowed vinyl junkie (and lifelong cheapskate)--has found his smack. I collect soul singles, and rock, punk, and [cough] classical LPs. New on the east-side scene since Summer 2008, Breakaway's co-owners are very knowledgeable and helpful. If they don't have it just give your e-mail and they will notify you when it comes in. Breakaway offers fair prices and the stock turns over very often. They have quite a lot for a buck and most items are under $20. While most of the stock is used, they have some new stuff, too (I picked up Husker Du "New Day Rising" reissue for $10). One other item of special note, during SXSW the store had 3 daytime showcases with top-notched live music. I saw The She Creatures from Bristol, Eng. (four gals in silver hot pants, laser pistols and blue hairdos). Also, Magic Christian, a band feat Cyril Jordan (Flamin' Groovies), Eddie Munoz (Plimsouls), and Clem Burke (Blondie). And Gentlemen Jesse & His Men. Hell yeah! Breakaway ROCKS!

Breakaway Records had never been on my radar until we recently got a turntable . I pass by it a million times to go to Epoch but had never set foot in here. I like the plethora of used records more than I can appreciate new records. On a recent Saturday, we went all over town to almost all the record shops in Austin (there aren't too many) and this one was by far my favorite. The reason being is that they aren't super obnoxious about prices like some other places. I was looking for some old crooner records and that's exactly what I got here! There's something just so exciting about finding a record for $2.99....I can't explain it. Surely that is the thrift shopper in me that gets excited for cheap stuff. I bought my first record here (the Urban Cowboy soundtrack...for you guessed it $2.99 ) and I will forever be grateful for this! They also have listening stations throughout the store, and FYI most record stores have these so I get that it isn't unique. But their selection is good, the prices are right, the location is superb. I'll definitely be back when I'm in need of some new tunes for the turntable.

Always my first stop when record shopping in Austin, great selection of 45s all fairly priced. Staff is always friendly and they have listening stations which make shopping a lot more fun for me. Clean and well curated and designed shop, highly recommended!

On first glance, this place just doesnt look like it has much to offer. Small. Nothing fancy. Simply Vinyl. What more can a girl ask for? The selection is amazing. The staff is always friendly and helpful. I never ever leave empty handed.

This is definitely the best record store in Austin. It's not perfect, but it is leaps and bounds above anything else. The stock is rotated fairly frequently, and usually they'll get in a lot of good stuff. Sometimes the price won't be exactly what you want, but you can agree that the quality of the records are top notch. The experience in the store is all around pleasant, so I don't mind a bit of a price increase on some great records. Prepare yourself for the dollar bins, because you will have an achy back after going through all of them

I went to Breakaway on the recommendation of a friend and fellow vinyl junkie. The Good: really nicely laid out collection. Great sections. Very organized. Fair pricing. Big 45 section. The Bad: the owner (I think he was the owner). Moody. Not engaging. As a collector, I go to record stores to shop and talk records! I am not sure if he was hungover, sick, or just moody but he have off the vibe that I was bothering him by asking questions. I was his only customer when I was there. After returning home I talked with the friend who sent me there. He said that he had a different experience. Hopefully the guy just was having a bad day. I will go back sometime. Maybe second time is a charm. After all, we all have rough days.

Once again, I'm the party-pooper on the list of reviewers. They've done as much as they can with the space, and I respect that. I just wish they'd expand. Or perhaps they could add a few more genres to what they offer. Like disco/funk, and big band/jazz. I started out giving this place three stars, but the fact that I've never left Breakaway empty-handed means I should give them four stars. I suppose I can't fault them entirely for not selling every genre I want to listen to. After all, they have done just about as much with their tiny cramped store as they can. I think Breakaway has a lot of potential if they could just expand to a bigger space.

I buy records. I listen to the records I buy. Breakaway has the best selection I have seen in the Austin metro area. The records are set up in a way so you can see all of them and search through them with out tripping over boxes of records. The vinyl turns quickly due to the great pricing and selection. Gabe and Michael are knowledgeable about records, music and easy to buy from. I stop in just about daily, there is always a new stack to check out.The record shop shares the lot with Cafe Mundi . You must go buy records there today. I wish Breakaway a fabulous 1st anniversary! Thanks for being there for my vinyl fix.....

Probably my favorite vinyl shop in town. I don't know what it is about this place, but I always come home with something really good, usually something I've never heard before (thanks to their staff picks). Breakaway also doesn't feel as dirty as most other vinyl shops in town. They seem to want to keep the place pretty clean, which is very appreciated. It's small but everything is laid out very nicely, with some great categories as well (staff picks, guilty pleasures). I high recommend going through their staff picks. Find a couple records you think look interesting and give them a listen. I always find something really cool and interesting that I usually end up buying. Their playing stations are great too. High quality Technics turntables, also very much appreciated (compared to End of an Ear, which uses the worst/cheapest turntables possible). Staff is friendly and always greets when you walk in the door, and always helpful if you have any questions. Epoch is also right next door, which is fantastic.