Fecha de publicación: 10/10/2000 Fuente: Wipo "digitalization" A recording medium to which this invention is applied includes a first recording area 3 where a digital audio signal sampled at a predetermined sampling frequency and quantized by a predetermined number of bits is recorded, a first management area 2 where information for carrying out management of the digital audio signal recorded in the first recording area 3 is recorded, a second recording area 6 where a digital audio signal corresponding to the digital audio signal recorded in the first recording area 3 is recorded, and a second management area 5 where information for carrying out management of the digital audio signal recorded in the second recording area 6 is recorded, wherein discrimination data indicating that plural recording areas exist is recorded in the first management area 2. Thus, this recording medium has compatibility with the conventional CD player, and can be reproduced in the state of high sound quality by a higher rank reproducing equipment.