In order to provide a magnetic recording medium in which the average particle diameter and the particle diameter distribution are reduced, the present invention provides a magnetic recording medium that has an applicable magnetic property (magnetically anisotropic energy) as a magnetic recording medium. This magnetic recording medium includes, in said order, a substrate, a particle diameter control layer, a first seed layer, a second seed layer, and a magnetic recording layer including an ordered alloy, wherein the second seed layer comprises crystal particles the main ingredient of which is TiN, and a grain boundary material the main ingredient of which is at least one selected from a group consisting of a metal oxide and carbon.