02.04.2025: UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl has called on music lovers to support the nation’s incredible independent music retail sector ahead of this year’s Record Store Day, which takes place across the UK on Saturday April 12. 

The annual event will see almost 300 independent record stores celebrate the UK’s network of record shops and their unique culture. To mark the occasion, many artists will once again be releasing special edition records made exclusively for Record Store Day.  

Since its official launch back in 2008, Record Store Day has gone from strength to strength, expanding year after year to become a vital fixture in the music industry calendar.  

UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said: “Having regularly got up very early on Record Store Day to queue for the latest exclusives and treasures at my local shop, I am a huge fan of this fantastic initiative. It provides a great opportunity for all music fans, from seasoned record collectors to occasional buyers, to support the incredible network of independent record stores right across the UK as well as their favourite artists.   

“The physical music market is a vital component of our industry and paying a visit to your local store on Record Store Day is a great way to get behind it.” 

UK star Sam Fender was recently announced as the official ambassador for Record Store Day 2025. Previous ambassadors include such luminaries as Kate Bush, Taylor Swift, The 1975, Noel Gallagher and Sir Elton John. 

Sam Fender said: “It’s a complete honour to be asked to be the Ambassador for Record Store Day 2025. The importance of indie stores cannot be understated. Without them, we lose physical spaces for music fans to discover both their favourite new artists and to forge friendships with likeminded people.    

“This year is an exciting one for me and the band with the release of our new album, People Watching. We were so privileged to be able to work with the family of legendary North East photographer Tish Murtha and use her photography across the album’s artwork for all formats.   

“The EP we’re releasing for Record Store Day is called “Me And The Dog EP”, which at one point was going to be the name of the new album, so it just feels right that it should have its own moment. We’ve included two songs that haven’t been released – I’m Always On Stage and Empty Spaces.  

“Thanks so much to all the independent stores around the world who support us. Let’s all make sure we support them too.”  

This year will also see 14 releases from the likes of Sugababes, David Sylvian, Chvurches, The Charlatans, Van Morrison, and The Cure donate £1 from every sale to Record Store Day’s official charity partner War Child in order to raise money for children affected by conflict.  

For everything you need to know about this year’s Record Store Day, from participating stores to exclusive releases, click here.