We traded our attention for convenience.
Endless playlists. Infinite skipping. Music became something that happens while we do something else.
The Listening Club is a quiet rebellion against that.
One album a month. All the way through. Together.
What membership includes:
✓ The monthly Listening Session.
One album a month, played on vinyl from start to finish. Between the tracks I bring in other records that open it out — influences, echoes, parallels. I host it on a private channel, so you can join from anywhere in the world.
"The viewer needs to wait and let the session unfold. There can't be any preconceptions." — Peter, Oxford, UK
✓ Every Listening Session, permanently archived.
The full library is yours to watch, revisit, and explore at any time. Miss a month, and it waits for you.
✓ The weekly letter.
Private, members only, sent every Friday at 4PM London time. Reflections on listening culture, an album of the week, and the small discoveries shaping where the platform goes next.
"I love your writing! Thank you." — Ingrid, Chicago, USA
✓ Unlimited access to Tracks & Tales.
Everything that exists today, everything that comes next. The city guides. The essays. The full digital archive, on any device.
✓ A line straight to me.
Reply to any letter and it reaches me, not a support desk. I ask members what's working and what isn't, and members have shaped most of what's changed so far.
✓ Membership, not a subscription.
A subscription asks for your attention constantly. This asks for it once a month, for the length of one record, and then leaves you alone.
People stay.
Members who get past their first month almost never leave. I think this is why:
"It matters to ordinary folks that the ability to listen is attainable." — Andrea, New York, USA
No special room. No special system. Just a record, played properly.
Where this goes.
The Listening Club begins online — deliberately, carefully — gathering the right people. In time it grows into physical rooms. Real spaces shaped around sound. The people who join now are what gets built on.
The first record is already on. Step inside.
- Rafi Mercer | Founder of Tracks & Tales
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Your Questions Answered
Why should I join now?
Because almost nobody listens to a whole record any more, and doing it alone is harder than it sounds. Once a month I play one album on vinyl, start to finish, and bring in the records around it — what it came from, what it argued with, what it made possible. You get the session, the archive of every session before it, a letter from me every Friday, and a way to reach me directly. One record a month, given the attention it was made for. Join here.
What does Tracks & Tales cover?
Start with the sound of a city — the music and albums that define a place and the culture that made them. Follow that sound to the venues, listening bars, record stores, and spaces where it lives.
Then go.
Tracks & Tales is built for people who let music lead their travel — and who believe the best way to know a city is through what it sounds like. The writing, essays, and rituals along the way are just part of the passage.
How do I access the site after subscribing?
The site is open to all at the moment. When the membership paywall launches, members get full access the moment they sign in.
What is The Listening Club?
The Listening Club is the Tracks & Tales membership. One album a month, played on vinyl from start to finish and hosted live, so you can join from anywhere. Every past session stays in the archive. A private letter arrives every Friday. You get full access to the guide — the cities, the albums, the essays — and a direct line to me. We're gathering a thousand listeners by the end of 2026. There's room for you.
Can I gift a Tracks & Tales membership?
Yes. Gift cards are available in the shop — a genuinely good present for anyone serious about music and how it's heard.
What are the T&Cs of a Tracks & Tales subscription?
Subscriptions renew monthly and can be cancelled any time. No lock-ins, no fuss. Full terms are available at checkout.
Do you cover cities outside major music hubs?
Absolutely — that's the whole point. Whether it's a basement listening room in Lagos or a jazz kissa in Osaka, we find them. 171 countries, 6454+ cities and counting.