To make possible interactive control operations in a device such as a minidisc system which uses a recording medium on which character information can be recorded. There is provided a recording medium on which sound information and management information for managing recording and playback operations is recorded, and on which predetermined character string information is recorded as commands in a region of the management information in which character information can be recorded. And, a recording and playback device 30 is provided with command read-in means (3.about.10, 12, 21), which reads in commands from the disc 1, control means 11, which, according to the commands read in, executes control of operations as specified by those commands, and input-output means (16, 17, 19, 20), controlled by the control means 11, required to execute the operations indicated by the read in commands.