An optical recording medium has a multi-layer film including a reproducing layer and a recording holding layer, in which, while a readout light is radiated to the optical recording medium for transcribing signals magnetically recorded in the recording holding layer to the reproducing layer, the signals are converted by photomagnetic effects into optical signals which are read. Alternately, an optical recording medium has phase pits formed thereon in accordance with signals and changed in reflectance with temperature, in which, while a readout light beam is radiated to the optical recording medium and the reflectance is changed partially within a scanning spot the readout light beam, the phase pits are read. The track pitch p of pits RP of recording signals in a direction at right angles to the scanning direction of the laser light is set to not more than one-half the spot diameter of the laser light to raise the track density to improve the recording capacity of the recording medium.