An exemplary magnetic recording medium with a high recording density and a low medium noise is provided. The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic substrate, a soft magnetic layer, an oxygen-containing intermediate layer, and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer, arranged in contact with one another, in that particular order. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer has a composite layer structure with ferromagnetic grains and a matrix of an amorphous carbon-containing structure. The amorphous carbon-containing structure is dispersed so as to essentially surround the individual ferromagnetic grains, within the perpendicular magnetic recording layer. Methods for making such magnetic recording media also are provided.