murmur — Amsterdam North’s Listening Sanctuary
By Rafi Mercer
New Listing
Venue Name: murmur
Address: Aambeeldstraat 60, 1021 KB Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Website: murmurmur.nl
Instagram: @murmur.ams
In the industrial canyons of Amsterdam North (Noord), tucked behind offices and quiet streets, you’ll find murmur — a bar, a listening room, a communal space that treats sound and presence with equal weight. On first approach the entrance might turn into a small mystery. Step through, and you realise you’re no longer simply entering a bar but traversing into a curated auditory world.
Inside, the décor is stripped of pretense yet rich in texture: concrete floors, warm wood accents, low-lit corners, and the quietly visible detail of a hand-built speaker system leaning into the acoustic architecture. murmur describes itself as “a bar with a hand-built sound system … a community space for music and cultural programme presented outside the mainstream.”
The sound here isn’t just good — it’s intentional. During long sets collectors share prized vinyl, playlists stretch six hours or more, and the room is built to listen. Commissioned by curators who care, the system lets the bass breathe rather than boom, voices and strings retain clarity, and you find yourself hearing the space as much as the music. “On weekends, collectors share the dearest parts of their music libraries in 6+ hours sets.”
The crowd matches the concept: listeners, audiophiles, creatives, neighbours — less clubber than connoisseur. Conversation falls back as the record spins; glasses are raised quietly. Outside, Amsterdam hums; inside, murmur holds the hum in place.
Food and drink honour the same ethos. Natural wines dominate the list, cocktails lean minimal but considered, and small plates emerge alongside listening sessions. A review notes vegan bites, pickled fennel, artichoke hearts with orange — not flashy, but tuned.
Location matters too: in Noord you get space, light, and a sense that things aren’t rushing. murmur opened up a pocket of calm in the city’s ever-turning rhythm. It’s one of the venues listed among “best vinyl and listening bars in Amsterdam” for good reason.
Visiting murmur feels like acquiring a new sense. Not just hearing the music, but occupying the space it defines. You leave hearing differently: aware of texture, of room, of time stretched gently. If you’re in Amsterdam North and want more than a drink — if you want a night shaped by sound — murmur is a place to listen.
Rafi Mercer writes about the spaces where music matters. For more stories from Tracks & Tales, subscribe, or click here.
