A reliable magnetic recording medium manufacturing method is provided in which a resin material used for processing a recording layer into a concavo-convex pattern can be removed reliably. In the magnetic recording medium manufacturing method, an energy ray curable resin material is spread over a continuous recording layer. Then, a stamper having a predetermined concavo-convex pattern is brought into contact with the resin material to transfer the concavo-convex pattern to the resin material, and the resin material is irradiated with energy rays such that the irradiation energy on a portion excluding the edge portion of the resin material is greater than that on the edge portions. The curing reaction proceeds to a greater extent in the portion excluding the edge portions than in the edge portions. Then, the resin material is etched and removed such that more resin material is removed from the edge portions than from the other portion.