Decatur CD & Vinyl

This may look like a cool store but, this weird old guy when I asked for an a-ha CD, he handed me the CD of all 5 albums box set. And I asked him did he have any a-ha albums on vinyl, he said no and grabbed the CD from me. I DO NOT RECCOMEND Ella Guru is a better record store than this.

You know it's going to be a great day when you line up outside your local record store on record store day and wait to have the owner stroll up and tell the crowd he hates record store day and then tells everyone he doesn't have what they want. Even if you brag about no social media or email, just put a handwritten sign up that says "I don't want your business and only want to serve the handful of audiophiles that share the same music taste as me." Should have RSD remove them as a participating store.

Amazing time today at Decatur CD & Vinyl. Record collection is vast and diverse with multiple copies of many vinyls I know are pretty rare to come across. I’ll definitely be back for more and will probably make this my go to vinyl spot moving forward! Thanks Decatur CD & Vinyl!

Was trying to sell some old records. After the owner looked through my stack of about twenty records, he picked four and say he could give me $20 of store credit for them. I didn’t realize it was store credit only and so I asked for them back. He then literally threw the four he picked on top of the stack and said nothing else. Will not be coming back.

On the plus side this shop has a great selection of music in various formats including some out-of-print and hard-to-find releases. On the downside they enforce a dated and rigid mask policy and will callously kick you out if you don't comply with it. Unless the store owner has specific health issues that contribute to the mask policy, this is utterly ridiculous performative nonsense more than anything else. I would easily score this place higher if he abandoned this policy. Edit: As of March 2024 they seem to have finally relaxed their mask policy. So gotta credit them for that and bump up my score.

Decatur CD is a great place to find all kinds of cds and vinyl, new and used, that you won't see anywhere else in town. Warren, the owner, keeps an eclectic and varied selection of titles in all genres and is able to order just about anything in print within a few days. I appreciate being able to walk in to a store that has the latest records as well as most worthwhile back catalog titles. Plus free parking!

Favorite place to buy records and cd's in atlanta! We have been going here for over a decade and Warren who runs the shop is so knowledgeable, helpful, and amazing!

Amazing collection would recommend. Also great place for hip hop/rap and jazz

I love going to Decatur CD! The owner is very knowledgeable and friendly. They always have the latest Taylor Swift albums which I love. Highly recommend if you are a CD junkie.

Incredible selection, found some classic vinyls at a great price. The owner is knowledgeable and great to talk to. Masks are required inside so it makes being in such an enclose place feel a lot safer. There are several listening stations and I've discovered artists who have become favourites of mine, definitely give them a shot.

Decatur CD is great. People give the owner a hard time in reviews, but he has been nothing but welcoming and helpful to me. Great selection and vibe.

4 stars for having a good selection of vinyl and even more so, CDs, if you're looking to rebuild an old collection. As others have noted, the owner is the old crotchety type. And not in a record store, elitist kind of way, more in a jerk, no interest in customer service and dealing with people kind of way.

This is the crown jewel of Decatur square. Independent music stores are few and far between, but I'm grateful that one of the best ever is still serving the culture of this city

Any independent record store deserves to be supported by us, the public.

I got there at 520 when the website said they close at 6. I had a list and was ready to spend $200+ and ol dude just wheeled out his cart and shook his head and said "we're not open".... then update it! I drove a good while to buy items they had on the ebay web site and they didn't even stay open til the time that is on the site. I have bought from here so much. Very dissapointed.

Great find! Located in the heart of Decatur this place waa cool, hip, and super nostalgic. The outside was painted in hip colors. They had a pole out front covered in punk, rock, and local bands stickers. I had to take a picture of my kids in front of the building. Inside it looks like a movie. You know the movies where they are sifting through thousands of cool records and cds? My 9 year old got to experience what was old, but new. They had a huge variety of records and cds. Lots of indie and local artist. My 12 year old was with me and enjoyed all the Twenty One Pilots cds. My daughter, the 9 year old is into Ingrid Michaelson and saw all her music. The staff was knowledgeable. When we asked him for a certain group he knew right away of they had or not. He even recommended other bands simular to the band we asked about. Definitely recommend this place. Especially if you want to take a trip back in time!!!

Nice shop and a good selection of CD's for a fair price. But yes, I'd have to agree with the other reviewers in terms of the owner. Don't bother making small talk with him as he is a bit of a curmudgeon.

The layout of the store is confusing, and the owner is consistently unwelcoming, and decidedly unfriendly. The atmosphere in the shop is accordingly oppressive. Have a question? It doesn't make a difference if you are the only person in the store, prepare for him to answer you in an annoyed tone. He clearly has better things to do than assist his customers, and I have better local options, so that's that. This guy's attitude has been a consistent problem for years. I'm unclear why I gave this place yet another chance this past weekend, but no more. An extra star for location and for bringing in some cool in-store concerts pre-Covid times.

So there's some good healthy competition for record shops in the area. They all have records which is why we all go. I hit them all up - Wuxtry, Criminal, Wax N Fax, Half Price Books, and Decatur CD. Here is my take on Decatur CD and you can read my reviews on the others in my profile. There are a lot of knocks for some reason about the service in most record shops. Here's the key- ask the staff how they're doing, and tell them what you're in the mood to find that day. I've been here at least 10 times in the last year. The very first time I was in I talked to the owner. For about 10 minutes. And each time I've been in - and I start a conversation- these guys are all super nice. When I don't want to talk to anyone- they leave me alone- which is exactly what they should do. They are the nicest and most down to earth of all the record shops. That's the main reason I go back. The selection is better than most, but you need to know where to look, and if you can't find what you're looking for just ask. They also have a healthy eBay store as well. I was in the day after Chris Cornell died and they were sending out most of their stock. When I was talking to the staff about soundgarden- he even asked if there was something I was looking for because they did have some left but wanted to take care of the walk in business first. If I'm going out record shopping, this is the first place I hit- simply because these dudes are always nice. They also have great free parking next to and behind the shop which you don't get at the places in little 5.

Decatur CD is like Amazon in real time and right there when you want it. Without question, Decatur CD has the best and deepest CD inventory of any store I have ever visited across the U.S. Whatever you are looking for in Rock, Jazz, Classical, Local Atlanta bands, R&B Decatur CD stocks the deepest inventory. Imports. CD's you RARELY see in any store. Reissues, box set. Decatur CD also has good collection of used CD, vinyl - new and used, DVD, audiophile. Store environment a 10 with some really interesting framed posters and prints. In the heart of Decatur, probably the coolest area in Atlanta. You can spend hours in Decatur CD then hit a great pub within walking distance. Free parking. I have found so many unique CD's. Prices are a bit steep but worth every penny because of the inventory.

Came in for a look because I'm always interested in adding to my collection. The two men working the store didn't say one word. I was never greeted, no hello, no "do you need help finding anything?" Nothing. I actually did need help because the layout of the store isn't very good and I couldn't find what I was looking for. Rude, unfriendly, zero personality. I won't bother going back.

After several years of avoiding this store due to some bad treatment I received from the staff, I decided to try again. Have been back about four times since and been treated well. They have a very good selection of new vinyl. Happy to have returned.

Push thru the pretentious feeling that ALL record stores emanate. Decatur CD is the real deal. The owner operator cares about your experience. If you need help ASK, it always amazes me what the ask gets me in return. Five star factor for customer service and CD release parties that provide beer. Love it!

Decatur CD is a good place to shop. Far more down to earth than any other indie shop in town and with a more comfortable layout to boot, browsing here comes naturally. The staff is knowledgeable, and if you find their selection at all lacking (they don't stock much metal, for instance), they won't hesitate to order anything for you--and it's generally in within the next couple of days. Also: preorder! It's as simple as writing your name and number on an index card and it's good for a couple bucks off the new release when it comes in. Add to that the cool in-store performances, ticket giveaways and other sundry raffles, Decatur CD is the type of local business that I want to give all my money to.

I think I listen to two of the rarest and most difficult types of music to find in Atlanta - rockabilly and psychobilly. Imagine my surprise to find a shitton of 'billy music at Decatur CD! In fact, the guy who runs the place (Wayne?) loves these styles of music and told me he always tries to keep various 'billy artists in stock. That's basically what Decatur CD is - a place to find music Target or Wallyworld wouldn't sell. Mojo Nixon, Charlie Parker, The Pogues, rare imports, etc. The staff is always very helpful without being overbearing. The store has a great selection of used music. Not as extensive as Book Nook, but you don't have to kill your back like at BN to see all the CDs. The blog is CONSTANTLY updated and so is their Myspace. Find out the latest and greatest arrivals there. Since Tower closed this is my main place for buying CDs, otherwise I'll hit Criminal or buy them online. And always a plus - after shopping you can walk across the street to Taqueria del Sol!

I don't care what anyone says, Decatur CD is the best shop in town, at least for me. They might not have the biggest selection and they might not carry all the latest top 40 BS, but you can generally find a couple unexpected used CDs to go with whatever else you went in to find. It's dangerous how quickly you can stack up the CDs. They do great in-store performances complete with free beer - which is generally my favorite kind. The owner is always insightful, friendly, and ready to help. The other kids that work there are typical record store geeks - knowledgeable, and quiet, but willing to talk if you talk first. I have to fight going here every time I go to Decatur, but why fight? What's a couple bucks spent on something you love? AND you are helping a local business compete in this corporate town.

I totally miss local CD stores like this one, and was SO happy to stumble upon this place recently. I had ridden by there many times, and for whatever reason, never went in the store. When I finally did, I was elated at what I found! There is a great selection, listening stations, and a ton of used CDs to browse through. And, not everything is under glass or behind locked doors like other smaller shops tend to do. There is definitely a feeling of welcome-ness and a great sense of local and friendly in this shop. Every time I go in here, I can find at least one or two used CDs that I need to pick up, and you can look through the same stacks and find something new each time (I suppose that is because they do add stuff every once and a while). I am so happy to have a great little CD shop like this to hang out at, and I love the selections they put out as suggestions; they have great tastes!! This is the type of store that you don't mind spending a few extra bucks for the same thing you could potentially get at Best Buy, mostly because you want them to stick around. Well, at least I want them to stick around!

Nice atmosphere, great selection, helpful staff, and mix of used and new music may be found at Decatur CD. Ambiance is of a 1980's-1990's college campus record store, with every square foot being used, and cozy. Prices are average. Extra star for off-street parking, which few competitors in this part of town offer.

I love Decatur CD! No pretentious snobs here. And in the rare event that you ask for something they don't have, it's right to the computer to order and get it to you by tomorrow. Warren (the owner) remembers my name everytime I come in. If you don't know what you want, or you've got an hour to kill, try out the two listening stations for a diverse mix of new albums from lesser known bands. I've found a few that have become favorites.

Always something exciting here! Can't wait for Record Store Day this year as several releases have caught my attention!

Nice, knowledgeable staff. Most importantly, not the least bit pretentious. Clean, well ordered store with good ambience. Very good selection, clearly stocked by serious music fans. Definitely a local business well worth supporting!

Confusing layout, lots of records in IKEA shelves that I had to lay on the ground to look at and owner lives up to his less than friendly reputation. Will not be going back for a 3rd visit.

I love this place. I purchase mostly vinyl, and they have a wide variety. And if they don't have what I'm looking for, they'll get it for me within a day or two. The owner is friendly and well-versed in the artists and their music, and the employees have gone above and beyond for me on several occasions. The store itself is nice, and unlike a lot of record stores, Decatur CD doesn't act like they're doing you a favor by letting you come in their store. Been going here for years, and have never had a bad experience. We have a wealth of record stores in Atlanta, but I always go here first.

Decatur CD leaves little to be desired. The selection has rarely left me wanting, but on the off chance I'm looking for something they don't have in stock, they've cheerfully special-ordered it (at lightning speed, I might add). And, as other reviewers have mentioned, at absolutely no extra cost (ever). The in-store performances are a highlight, too, with an impressive and varied (and free!) beer selection. Everything you'd want in a local record store, plus loads you'd never think to expect.

I just wanted to update my review because I saw J.R.'s review and it's not true. Decatur CD does not EVER charge extra for special orders. I said that in my first review but thought it was worth repeating since J.R. decided to make something up about my favorite store. That is all.

I could not wait to get home to write this review. Warren (owner/operator) did you not think that I could have ordered the CD I was requesting off line. I didn't have to get dress, drive to Decatur to get the CD, but because I appreciate that you have a unique business and I've been there several times, I wanted to support your "dying" (your term) business, by coming to YOUR store. Your dismissive and berating behavior caused me to go else where. And guess what, I got my CD TODAY, not Tuesday. As the lyrics of a song goes, 'You might have won some , but you just LOST ONE"...... Today I give you no Stars for your customer service.

Decatur CD doesn't get as much indie cred as Criminal Records, because downtown Decatur is a little more suburban and isn't quite as tattooed and rock and roll a neighborhood as Little Five Points. But Decatur CD is probably the best indie music store in the Atlanta area. Plus they get bonus points for maintaining a clean and well organized shopping environment, in contrast to Criminal's somewhat chaotic layout. The Decatur CD staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the selection is great. Again, you're not going to find Clay Aiken's newest release. But you will find the new Decemberists album, or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's first release. That is to say, Decatur CD only has good music.

Planned on visiting, but my truck got booted before I could make it in. You guys seriously need to get that sham of a security company out of your parking lot. I love some vinyl, and heard good things about this place, but the $75 in the parking lot was the last dollar I'll leave there.

I went to this store on two occasions to sell used CDs. Both employees were rude to me and refused to look at my CDs because they were too busy. After that I lost interest in going there.

This is a truly wonderful record store. I've been to a lot of great record stores around the country, but this is among the best I've ever set foot in. Friendly, unpretentious staff and a great selection of used CDs. Comfortable atmosphere. Great selection of new vinyl as well. They have a strong and eclectic selection of rock (both old and new), jazz, country, folk, soul, and r&b. You'll find all of the standards here, and also the lesser known gems. I cannot say enough good things about this place. Plus, they have a parking lot. I make it a point to come here everytime I get paid. This is a great local business!

I like Decatur CD because of the huge amount of in stock new releases. Plenty of new vinyl too. I've seen a few in store performances here. The Meat Puppets (the Meat Puppets!) were great. Autumn Defense was here recently but I missed it. It's a local record store. Support it!

This is probably the best cd shop I've been to in Atlanta. That being said, the choices here are quite limited. Decatur CD has a good world music selection. I was pleasantly surprised. I buy used when I can and happily found an Andrew Hill album floating amongst several new copies of his other stuff in jazz. The staff was helpful, and knew a great deal about the music that they stock. It seems that they put a lot of effort into knowing their stock, rather than regurgitating genre-limited drivel from pitchfork reviews. One negative was that they didn't have air conditioning when I went... but I can forgive that. They provided free beer for a CD release party.

Um, like, I'm not looking for the latest Justin Timberlake hit, and I can't find shit here. Where's Liz Phair, Decatur CD? Where's LIZ?? My husband was also looking for something... Guster, I believe, and he couldn't find anything. Your building tricked us with it's hip exterior. I still bought an Afghan Whigs CD from you anyway. For way too much money for an OLD CD.

The previous reviews are spot on about this place. If you're looking to find out about in-store performances, new releases, or other events, keep an eye on their blog. Employees are knowledgeable, or admit what they don't know; one of them helped me find a CD for my brother's birthday a few years back based on my piecemeal list of his favorite bands. Now he has a new favorite band that I'd never have listened to, and he'd never have heard of otherwise. Right on, Decatur CD.

Great selection, excellent website, great service. It's rare to actually find the stuff I listen to in stores. They've usually got a bunch of it in stock and have listening stations of non-mainstream acts. If you want to check the pulse of the indie music scene this is the place to check it out. Hey Jaxxie, Liz Phair sold out!

Excellent store! Much better than Criminal...not pretentious! And it's easier to find stuff. It's the best I've found in the Atlanta area so far. I've special ordered CDs a couple of times and they were in within a couple of days. I'm looking forward to moving back to the area and I'll be frequenting Decatur CD.

I used to purchase cds here, quite a few. But no more. Just today, owner (older guy with pony tail) yelled across store at customer and called him an ***hole. No excuse. I will never set foot in this place again. He should really be careful, as some might not take too kindly to that kind of name calling.

The guy in the shop was knowledgeabl, friendly, and didn't seem to mind that I wasn't an aficionado. He helped me find a cd of a blues artist I didn't know I loved. More importantly, he ordered an obscure album that I was looking for from Europe and mailed it to my house, all for what I would have paid for a top 40 cd anywhere else. The vinyl is a little pricey, but is all in excellent condition. Great place.

Let me add that I concur with Susan V.'s comments. The owner's personality is very off-putting. He seems to have a lot of bad days. Also, his background is corporate, with WB and others, and he has that perspective mainly about marketing "product." Other staff are friendly; the owner is the problem.

Let me preface that I buy a lot of music on CD. I'm not a downloader. Because of this fact I purchase about 90% of my music from Amazon basically because they have the best selection on earth at the lowest prices. That being said, I thoroughly enjoy independent record stores and patronize them as well - basically because I don't want them to go away. I also enjoy the atmosphere, spending an hour or so perusing the selection, while listening to great tunes. I have shopped at this establishment a few times over the years and had decent experiences. Recently this changed. I asked the owner about a CD that was not in stock. He offered to order for me and I said cool. When I go to pick it up, he indicates that it is $3 more because it was a special order. I'm like, "what the f"? There was never any mention of special order costs. Rather than make a fuss in a store full of people, I proceeded with the purchase - albeit my last one at this store. I guess I'm back to Amazon - no special order costs, no shipping costs, no tax. Hope the $3 was worth the lost customer.

For God's sake, support Warren Hudson and his crew at Decatur CD. I've been haunting record stores my whole life, and I've spent plenty of time in the aisles of Criminal, Wuxtry, Wax 'n' Facts and all of the other record-geek institutions in Atlanta. But for my money, these days, Decatur CD is the best shop in town. We really need record stores now -- places where you can stumble upon things you've never heard, places where people who genuinely love music can share their discoveries with each other. Every time I go to Decatur CD, I always spend a little more money than I meant to, but I always come home with music I didn't know about but wind up loving. And when I die, I'd rather have those tunes in my head than that money in my pocket. If you know what I mean, go to Decatur CD. Go often. Keep it alive.

I really like how it feels here! It's cozy! And I love going and flipping through their albums, and looking at local band stuff.

Best music store in all of metro Atlanta. I've been going there for years. They have a very good selection and friendly staff. If they don't have something just ask them to order it for you. They usually get it in a day, so don't waste your time ordering from an online retailer. They have a good used selection as well. To top it all off the places smells good.

A real pleasant surprise. I've driven past here so many times and never gone in. I buy most of my music from various L5P stores. But after calling all of them and asking for a specific CD which no one had I was pleased that Decatur CD a copy and held it for me. They don't carry all of the genres I'm normally looking for but they do have a good range of CDs, records, books and DVDs . It seemed that they had all the garage vinyl re issues I'd pined over for years. The staff were super friendly, almost too friendly. Another plus, they have a parking lot and stay open until 9pm. They weren't on my list for finding music but now they're definitely in the rotation.

I *love* this store. I miss having a lot of independent record/CD stores (Wuxtry is just dim and, I don't know, icky?), and Warren definitely knows his stuff. It's great to go through collections of World Music, or add to my CD library from old vinyl albums made into CD's. Warren even helped me find which copy of a CD I wanted and not everyone will go to that trouble. Decatur is lucky to have Decatur CD in its downtown area.

The widest variety in cd genres (rock, jazz, folk, blues, country) of any music store in town (of which there sadly aren't enough left). Also a healthy selection of new vinyl, music dvd's and musical-related books. Think of it (almost) as a music flea market, but you WILL find something in your price range: from bargain-bin to clean-used right on up to pricey boxsets for the completist (and they can always order a hard-to-find gem if it's not in stock). I'm very partial to the jazz section and am always mesmerized by the depth & breadth of new, reissued and import jazz available here. Don't know how he does it, but whatever it is, Warren, keep doing it!

One of the last great indie music stores and one of the reasons Decatur is a great place to live and work. I've been going to this place since it opened and I'll probably be there the last time the lights go out with a cold high gravity in one hand and a fistful of CDs to take home in my other. Warren, Austin, and Young Eliot know their stuff and get to know what their customers like (including craft brewskies). Always a fun selection of used things to plow through, and they can get what you want real fast if they don't have it in stock.

Doesn't have quite the same selection of vinyl as Criminal Records or Wax-n-Facts, but then again their name isn't "Decatur Vinyl." Still a great independent music store and worth the trip for cds.