Named after saxophonist Albert Ayler, the label was founded in Sweden in 2000 by Jan Ström and Åke Bjurhamn.

[1][2][3] The majority of Ayler's early releases were live recordings of European and American free jazz groups, many of them taped at the Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm, where Ström helped to book musicians.

[2][4] In 2009, Ayler relocated to France, where it is managed by Stéphane Berland, who had joined the label in 2005, and who is now the sole overseer.

[8] Writer Krištof Budke called the label's catalogue "brilliant, forward-thinking, progressive and extremely creative,"[8] while reviewer Rex Butters praised Ayler for "[doing] its part to retrieve deserving free records from obscurity.

"[9] Ayler Records releases have received praise from Jazzwise,[10] JazzTimes,[11] Tom Hull,[12] Point of Departure,[13] Paris Transatlantic,[14] Dusted Magazine,[15] and The Times.