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.

The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on the non-magnetic support, in which a center line average surface roughness Ra measured regarding a surface of the magnetic layer is 1.0 nm to 1.6 nm, and a difference (S.sub.afterS.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer after ethanol cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before ethanol cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 6.0 nm.

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.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on one surface of the non-magnetic support; and a back coating layer including a non-magnetic powder and a binding agent on the other surface of the non-magnetic support, in which a center line average surface roughness Ra measured regarding a surface of the back coating layer is equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference (S.sub.afterS.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer after ethanol cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before ethanol cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 15.0 nm.

The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on the non-magnetic support, in which a center line average surface roughness Ra measured regarding a surface of the magnetic layer is 1.0 nm to 1.6 nm, and a difference (S.sub.afterS.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer after ethanol cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before ethanol cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 6.0 nm.

The magnetic recording medium including: a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on the non-magnetic support, in which a center line average surface roughness Ra measured regarding a surface of the magnetic layer is 1.0 nm to 1.6 nm, and a difference (S.sub.afterS.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer after methyl ethyl ketone cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before methyl ethyl ketone cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 15.0 nm.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on one surface of the non-magnetic support; and a back coating layer including a non-magnetic powder and a binding agent on the other surface of the non-magnetic support, in which a center line average surface roughness Ra measured regarding a surface of the back coating layer is equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference (S.sub.afterS.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer after ethanol cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before ethanol cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 15.0 nm.