Record Club is trying to be Letterboxd for music nerds
Recorded: May 23, 2026, 10:59 p.m.
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Record Club is trying to be Letterboxd for music nerds | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Record Club is trying to be Letterboxd for music nerdsNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...EntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsCultureCloseCulturePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All CultureRecord Club is trying to be Letterboxd for music nerdsTrack your listening habits and tell your friends about your favorite records.Track your listening habits and tell your friends about your favorite records.by Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienMay 23, 2026, 10:41 PM UTCLinkShareGiftLook at those cute little guys. Image: Record ClubTerrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.There isn’t really a solid equivalent to Goodreads or Letterboxd for music lovers, but Record Club is aiming to change that. Yes, we have Rate Your Music, but its interface is crowded, and it feels more geared towards longer-form reviews than cataloging your listening habits and connecting with other fans. Record Club is clean and modern, with a streamlined interface that’s quite similar to Letterboxd.The basic features you’d expect from such a site are all there. You can rate and review records or mark them as listened to. You can also see what your friends are listening to and see what albums are trending with other users. There’s a spot on your profile to list your five favorite albums, plus five records you have in heavy rotation. You can also create custom lists (ranked or unranked) and share them — handy for tracking your top albums of the year, or putting together genre-specific crash courses. You can also add records to your queue, so you can keep track of albums you want to listen to, but haven’t gotten around to yet. (I’ll probably be making extensive use of that.)You can follow your favorite artists as well as entire record labels. That makes it easy to stay on top of new artists on labels like 4AD, AD 93, Fire Talk, and Warp. Record Club pulls all of its data from the open-source music encyclopedia MusicBrainz. 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Record Club is being presented as an alternative platform designed for music enthusiasts, aiming to serve a function similar to Letterboxd but specifically for music cataloging and social connection. The platform seeks to address the gap left by existing resources like Goodreads or Letterboxd by focusing on tracking listening habits and facilitating connections among fans of records. Beyond basic rating and review functionality, Record Club aims to provide a comprehensive system for music lovers to manage their musical interests. The platform incorporates several distinct features to achieve this goal. Users can track their listening habits and share their favorite records with friends. The interface is described as clean and modern, closely resembling the aesthetic of Letterboxd. Essential features include the ability to rate and review records and mark them as listened to. Furthermore, the platform allows users to view what their friends are listening to and identify trending albums among other users. For personal organization, users can establish detailed profiles featuring listings for their five favorite albums and five records currently in heavy rotation. The system supports the creation and sharing of custom lists, which can be either ranked or unranked, enabling users to curate genre-specific crash courses or track top albums of the year. To aid in future listening plans, users also have the option to add records to a queue for future consideration. Record Club also emphasizes community engagement by allowing users to follow favorite artists and entire record labels, making it convenient to keep abreast of new music releases from influential entities such as 4AD, AD 93, Fire Talk, and Warp. The underlying data for the platform is sourced from the open-source music encyclopedia MusicBrainz. This data integration allows users to follow artists and labels and see what content they are currently listening to. The platform is further enhanced by allowing users to add records to a queue. The perspective of Terrence O'Brien, the Verge’s Weekend Editor, highlights the ambition behind Record Club, suggesting that while tools like Rate Your Music exist, they often prioritize longer-form reviews over cataloging listening habits and community connection. This indicates Record Club's focus on music cataloging and social interaction within a streamlined environment. |