Abstract: A method for photothermal information recording, reading and erasing consists in that the surface of a recording medium (1) is charged prior to the photothermal recording process and then exposed, during photothermal information recording and erasing, to a modulated electromagnetic beam (8) localized to a spot size of the order of one information unit with the energy exceeding the energy required for softening the material of the recording medium (1), and, during information readout, with the energy less than that for softening the material of the recording medium (1), the surface of the recording medium (1) being discharged before erasing information.