The Record Store Day Podcast with Paul Myers Looking at THE LIST for Record Store Day 2026 with RSD co-founder Michael Kurtz
Feb 10, 2026
Michael Kurtz, co-founder and executive producer of Record Store Day, returns to discuss The List of RSD titles and why Bruno Mars is the 2026 ambassador. He outlines Bruno Mars collaborations and a special vinyl compilation. They reminisce about past ambassadors, rare collectibles, RSD’s global growth, tactile appeal of records, and notable exclusive pressings coming this spring.
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Episode notes
Bruno Mars Ambassador Story
- Michael Kurtz describes persuading Bruno Mars' team and Atlantic Records for a year to become the 2026 ambassador.
- The collaboration yields a Record Store Day-only Bruno Mars compilation collecting hits onto vinyl.
Artist Outreach And Community Support
- Michael Kurtz describes reaching out to artists and managers to secure exclusive Record Store Day releases like Springsteen's live set.
- He balances artist relationships with store support, sometimes requesting releases to aid community causes.
RSD's Scale And Impact
- Record Store Day now includes roughly 1,600 participating stores and drives a large share of vinyl sales.
- The event strengthens independent stores' visibility and commercial health annually.
