Longitudinal recording is the basis of all current hard disk storage systems. The success of hard disk drives (HDDs) originates from a consistent enhancement in storage capacity and performance combined with significant reductions in price per Gigabyte, hi order to extend the limits of the technology, new media must be developed with improved characteristics. Magnetic recording test systems are one of the most important tools to help researchers to carry out recording tests on different magnetic media in order to evaluate magnetic media properties and the recording signal characteristics. A user-friendly, fully automated experimental contact magnetic recording system (ECRS) with a replay system using GMR heads has been developed, using a motorised servo-controlled X-Y stage with 0.1 mum repeatability, 0.1 mum resolution, and 1.0 mum positional accuracy. The ECRS has been used to: o Perform recording tests and magnetic media characterisation measurements on commercial disks and novel thin film media samples. o Study Longitudinal and Perpendicular recording modes. The ECRS can perform standard magnetic media characterisation measurements including: o Saturation curve (Output Voltage versus Record Currents) o Roll-off curve (Output Voltage versus Linear Density) o Transition Noise Power o Reverse DC-Erasure noise o Triple-Track Profiles o Track Edge noise and Edge Erasure By using the ECRS, a thorough characterisation of various Self-Forming Nanocrystallite Cobalt samples was performed. The media have been critically evaluated against commercial thin film disks exhibiting similar coercivity. Single layer novel perpendicular media were thoroughly investigated and have been critically evaluated and compared with perpendicular thin film media with a soft underlayer. The first biologically-derived nanoparticulate Co:Pt medium was evaluated and proved to have the potential for high density storage. A novel technique using the ECRS to measure the cluster size in sparse media has been demonstrated.