Record Store Day Announces ‘RSD Drops’ Plan & Dates

Record Store Day organizers have detailed a plan for RSD Drops in lieu of the usual annual event at independent record stores featuring special releases, which has been hindered by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. While the original date of April 18 was rescheduled until June 20, the celebration will now take place on Saturdays in August (August 29), September (September 26) and October (October 24).

Organizers are in talks to labels and artists to make the release schedule for each of the three RSD Drops Saturdays special and diverse with a good mix of genres. On June 1, a new version of “The List” detailing the RSD Drops date for each release will be shared on RecordStoreDay.com. Additionally, Record Store Day Black Friday is still slated to take place on Friday, November 27 with plans in the works for special releases to come out the day after Thanksgiving.

“Record Store Day organizers have looked at numerous possible dates and various ways to rework an event that takes place at thousands of record stores around the world, taking into consideration the varying circumstances any store or territory might find themselves in at any point this year,” starts a note from RSD organizers. “This current plan to spread the release of Record Store Day titles over several months was made with as much available information as possible, and gives the largest number of stores a chance to participate in the strangest Record Store Day ever, following their local mandates, and using the guidance of government and scientific experts to make these RSD Drop dates as socially responsible as possible.”