The only fully woman-owned record shop in the D.C. area is on the Route 1 corridor.
Located at 11011 Baltimore Ave. in Beltsville, Sonidos! Music & More first opened in October of 2019, but it had to shut down briefly during the coronavirus pandemic.
Owner Claudia Mendiola-Durán told the Hyattsville Wire that the record shop got its start when she mentioned to her friends next door at Atomic Music about her idea.
“I’ve been friends with the guys at Atomic for many years, and when I mentioned that I wanted to open a shop of my own, they offered to clear out a space they were using for storage so I could rent it out,” she said.
During the pandemic, Sonidos continued selling via mail order, but the brick-and-mortar sales continue to be unpredictable. Still, she says she’s optimistic about the future of physical media, even as streaming services have taken off.
“There’s something to be said for physical holding a record or CD in your hands,” she said. “You get the album art, the liner notes, all the little extra details that you just don’t get from an MP3 or a stream. It’s a much more immersive experience.”
Sonidos, which is named for the Spanish word for “sounds,” also buys vinyl, books and CDs as well as some videos. You can email sonidos.musicshop@gmail.com or call (240) 366-6886 with questions.
The shop also posts updates regularly on its Instagram page.
Support the Wire and Community Journalism
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.
