The new portrait series highlights the personal journeys, communities, and cultural impact behind vinyl collecting.
Discogs is turning the spotlight from records to the people who collect and cherish them most with the debut of My Discography, a new original portrait series exploring the deeply personal connections between collectors and the music they preserve. Premiered on February 9 via the Discogs YouTube channel, the short-form documentary series travels across the United States to highlight five collectors whose stories reveal how vinyl functions not just as a format, but as a living archive of identity, memory, and community. Watch the first episode, below:
The first episode introduces viewers to James Inge of Louisville, Kentucky – an amateur DJ, radio host, and devoted Northern Soul collector known for his meticulous approach to 45s and crate-digging. Through an intimate lens, the episode traces his journey into collecting, the philosophy that guides his search, and the rare records that have shaped both his musical worldview and personal relationships, underscoring how discovery remains at the heart of vinyl culture.
“[A record is] not just a thing to look at. It is a useful item that carries history that can tell you about a place, can tell you about people…Who would’ve thought that these would still exist and be treasured and be played 50, 60, 60 years later. We’re curating and presenting history.”- James Inge, Record Collector and Discogs User
With My Discography, Discogs continues expanding beyond its role as the world’s largest record-collecting marketplace into a storytelling platform centered on the global community that fuels it. The five-episode series captures a wide spectrum of collectors – from record store owners to DJs and cultural historians. At the same time, the series is a reminder that behind every catalog entry is a human story, and behind every collection is a connection, and oftentimes a lifelong conversation with music.
My Discography Featured Collectors:
James Inge: Northern Soul collector and DJ in Louisville, KY
Annisa Gooden: Legacy owner of Out of The Past Records in Chicago, IL
John Haywood: Tattoo artist, songwriter, and Appalachian history collector in Whitesburg, KY
Brittany Benton: DJ, college professor, and music selector in Cleveland, OH
Nicki Ricci: Tour merch manager, DJ, and record store employee in Nashville, TN