A magnetic recording apparatus includes a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic recording layer, a thin-film magnetic head with a microwave-band magnetic drive function, the head having a write field generation means that generates a write field to the magnetic recording medium in response to a write signal, and a microwave generator that is provided independent of the write field generation means and generates an alternating magnetic field in plane having a microwave-band frequency when microwave-excitation current is fed, an excitation current generation means that generates the microwave-excitation current by amplitude-modulating microwave carrier current with a modulating signal having a fixed period, and a write signal supply means that generates the write signal and applies it to the write field generation means of the thin-film magnetic head.