It isn’t easy being indie. Over the past few years, digital downloads, big box stores, and high rent prices in the District have forced several of the city’s independent record stores to go out of business. Revolution Records in Van Ness shut down in 2006, hoping to move to a better location, the popular DC CD on 18th St. closed its doors several years ago, and Georgetown’s Yoshitoshi, a record label and shop that specializes in dance music, made the switch over to a purely online business. New stores seem to pop up every now and then, but keeping track of all the changes and locations is a difficult task in itself. So we decided to map out the stores (within D.C.’s borders) that we know are still up and running, and ask them why they think they can survive in today’s digital world. We got a variety of responses, including the increased popularity of vinyl, a hard to find stock of used albums, and a knowledgeable staff. And some, like DJ Hut, will soon be embracing change by incorporating digital in-store downloads.

Click on the screen below to view an interactive map of the record stores, complete with video interviews with owners and employees as well as photos and links to their websites.