Volt Records was an American record label founded in 1960 as a subsidiary of Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee. It was created by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, the co-founders of Stax, mainly to release material by artists who didn’t fit into the main Stax roster.

Volt quickly became important in the development of Southern soul music. Some of its most famous acts include Otis Redding, The Bar-Kays, Carla Thomas, William Bell, and later The Staple Singers. Through the 1960s, Volt issued a series of influential singles and albums that defined the Stax/Volt sound, characterized by raw vocals, punchy horns, and gospel influences.The label was closely tied to the success of Otis Redding, who recorded many of his classics with Volt until his tragic death in 1967. After that, Volt continued to release music but was less prominent as Stax itself became more central.

Volt was eventually folded into Stax during the 1970s, though its legacy as a crucial imprint in American soul history remains strong. Today, many Volt releases are reissued as part of the Stax catalog under Concord Music Group, which owns the Stax/Volt archives.