Magnetic recording medium and magnetic recording medium cartridge

A magnetic recording medium cartridge comprising:

• a reel;
• a tape-like magnetic recording medium wound around the reel;
• and
• a housing that accommodates the magnetic recording medium,
• the magnetic recording medium including
• a magnetic recording tape extending in a longitudinal direction, and
• a leader tape coupled to the magnetic recording tape in the longitudinal direction, wherein
• a maximum step difference of a stepped part at a position closest to a coupling part between the leader tape and the magnetic recording tape, among a plurality of the stepped parts generated on the leader tape after traveling, is 34 μm or less in a thickness direction of the leader tape, the traveling being performed in accordance with the following conditions 1 to 3:
• condition 1:
• being in an environment of a temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 45% RH;
• condition 2:
• using a drive pursuant to a standard of LTO 9;
• and
• condition 3:
• performing reciprocating traveling 140 times to record and reproduce a capacity of 18 terabytes.