BCM Plattesteen 6. (Métro: Bourse. Mon-Sat 11am-6.30pm.) If you've come to Belgium to explore the techno scene, this is where to find your vinyl. They also stock lots of drum 'n' bass, speed-garage, and house.
Arlequin Rue de L'Athenee 7 & 8. (Bus #71. Mon-Sat 10.30am-6.30pm.) Small, beat-up second-hand record and CD shop which offers decent collections of almost every type of music you can imagine. The vinyl is in good shape - with some sealed copies around - and the service amiable. The store at no. 8 sells classical and jazz, while no. 7 offers everything else.
La Boîte à Musique Rue Ravenstein 17. (Métro: Gare Centrale. Mon-Fri 9am-6.30pm, Sat 9.30am-6.30pm.) Supplier to the Belgian court, owner Bertrand de Wauters is a veritable encyclopaedia of classical music. Not only can he describe differing interpretations of classical works, he can also advise you on the quality of the recordings. Highly recommended.
DiscoSold Bd Adolphe Max 97. (Métro: Rogier. Mon-Sat 10.30am-6.30pm.) This small second-hand record shop is well-known for its obscure but cool collection of soul, funk, pop and jazz as well as a large section devoted to classical music. The prices won't break the bank either, most CDs costing under ?10.
Fnac Rue Neuve City 2. (Métro: Rogier or de Brouckère. Mon-Thurs & Sat 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-8pm.) A store with a fairly wide selection of French and English tapes and CDs, along with books, newspapers and CD players. It's also the place to come to buy tickets for mainstream gigs and concerts in the capital.
Free Record Shop Rue Fossé aux Loups 18. (Métro: de Brouckère. Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun noon-6pm.) Huge generic store with an impressive range of CDs, vinyl and tapes. You name it, they have it: techno, house, easy listening, punk, rock, pop, folk, jazz, rap and classical. They also sell videos and computer games and there's a ticket booth for gigs and official raves.
Music Mania Rue de la Fourche 4. (Métro: de Brouckère. Mon-Fri noon-6.30pm, Sat 11am-6pm.) The place to come for the latest release or that elusive vinyl or CD. This independent music store is frequented by rappers, straight-edge skaters and house or drum 'n' bass DJs alike and sells tickets before general sale to large and smaller gigs and parties. It's also a good source for flyers.
Virgin Megastore Bd Anspach. (Métro: de Brouckère. Mon-Thurs & Sat 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-8pm, Sun noon-7pm. Near the junction of rue Grétry.) The full range of CDs, listening stands and games as well as the odd piece of vinyl.
from $95.38 USD