The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and a difference between a spacing S.sub.after measured on a surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interferometry after methyl-ethyl-ketone cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured on the surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interferometry before methyl-ethyl-ketone cleaning is greater than 0 nm and 15.0 nm or less. w

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent, in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference (L.sub.99.9L.sub.0.1) between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and an isoelectric point of a surface zeta potential of the magnetic layer is 3.8 or less.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer, in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference L.sub.99.9L.sub.0.1 between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and an absolute value N of a difference between a refractive index Nxy of the magnetic layer, measured in an in-plane direction and a refractive index Nz of the magnetic layer, measured in a thickness direction is 0.25 or more and 0.40 or less.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer, in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and a difference between a spacing S.sub.0.5 measured, after n-hexane cleaning, on a surface of the magnetic layer under a pressure of 0.5 atm by optical interferometry and a spacing S.sub.13.5 measured, after n-hexane cleaning, under a pressure of 13.5 atm is 3.0 nm or less, and S.sub.0.5 is 5.0 nm or more.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which the total thickness of the non-magnetic layer and the magnetic layer is equal to or smaller than 0.60 m, the magnetic layer includes ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder and an abrasive, a percentage of a plan view maximum area of the abrasive confirmed in a region having a size of 4.3 m6.3 m of the surface of the magnetic layer by plane observation using a scanning electron microscope, with respect to the total area of the region is equal to or greater than 0.02% and less than 0.06%, and a tilt cos 0 of the ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder with respect to a surface of the magnetic layer acquired by cross section observation performed by using a scanning transmission electron microscope is 0.85 to 1.00.