The gist
Owner John Aleman spent most of his life playing and collecting music before he opened Piranha Records in 2003.
All kinds of music genres can be found at the store, from jazz and classical to hip-hop, rock, metal and pop.
In addition to vinyl records, Piranha sells CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, turntables, T-shirts, posters, and even shoestrings—one of the most popular store items, Aleman said.
What's changed
For his first 10 years in business, Aleman said his extensive selection of Texas rap CDs kept his business afloat. Now, the recent vinyl record craze has changed that.
"Things have changed from CDs to vinyl, and that's changed our genres a bit," Aleman said. "I think vinyl has become really popular among young people because when you're playing a record, you actually will have to get up and change it. So you're paying attention to your music more than you would while streaming. It's not just floating by in the background."
Aleman said demand for vinyl records has gotten so high in recent years that he has to ship in nearly a thousand records a week just to keep the shelves full.
Diving in deeper
While many businesses struggled through the pandemic, Aleman said his customer base tripled during it, as Austinites ventured out of the city for in-store experiences.
"A lot of stores in Austin were only offering curbside pickups, but we followed the county rules and still let the customers come inside," Aleman said.
Quote of note
"Now every big-box store has a vinyl record section, but I think local stores will always be around because if you're looking for something really specific, we are going to know what album, what song and what artist to look for. We can really personalize the experience," Aleman said.
Something to note
Piranha Records is one of the only record stores to carry all 364 DJ Screw albums on CD besides Screwed Up Records & Tapes in Houston, where the legendary DJ was from, Aleman said.
- 1208 I-35, Ste. 200, Round Rock
- www.piranharecords.net
