A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is disclosed, as well as a magnetic recording medium manufactured by the method. In the manufacturing method, the uneven pattern has magnetic recording elements in protruding portions formed above a substrate, and depressed portions between the recording elements are filled with a filling material. The method allows a high quality magnetic recording medium to be manufactured inexpensively by eliminating the process of removing excess filling material used to fill depressions between magnetic recording elements, because the method allows material to be filled only in the depressed portions of an uneven pattern. The method includes a technique rendering the wettability of the protruding portion surfaces and the depressed portion surfaces different prior to the process of filling with the filling material.