A magnetic recording head has at least two magnetic transducers constructed in a common head in spaced-apart relation sufficient for convenient assembly and proper shielding of the individual transducers. The transducers follow spaced parallel tracks on the magnetic tape, and are moved after following one set of tracks on the tape into a position for following additional spaced tracks. No two adjacent tracks on the tape contain the same type of recorded information, and all of the tracks are equally spaced apart over the entire range of movement of the head. In color television recording, one transducer records and/or plays back video information and the other transducer records and/or plays back color information and audio. The transducers in the head are spaced apart (on centers) a distance greater than the movement imparted to the head for following different tracks, the movement preferably being two thirds this transducer spacing. This produces alternate tracks on the tape with minimum guard band between any two adjacent tracks, and with each video track on opposite sides of a color-audio track. In longitudinal recording this permits use of a maximum amount of the tape surface, leaving only two possible track areas unused.