The single was released on both CD and vinyl record formats, with Bryter Layter track "Northern Sky" as a B-side.

"Magic" was originally recorded for the Five Leaves Left sessions but did not appear on the final album.

A version of the song with a different string arranger features on Time of No Reply, Drake's 1986 outtakes compilation.

For Made to Love Magic the song was artificially sped up and stripped of its original string section, which was scored by Richard Hewson.

A separate string arrangement written in 1969 by Robert Kirby, recorded in 2004, was used as a backing to the new faster track.