This paper is concerned with a theoretical and experimental study on magnetostatic surface waves (MSSW) propagating in a thin metal film covered ferrimagnetic layer structure. We have focused on the effect of a finite conductivity of the metal coated on the ferrimagnetic layer. The dispersion characteristics of the magnetostatic waves, whose propagation constants are complex, have been discussed. Agreement between calculated and experimental values For the propagation loss and the transmission bandwidth of the surface waves is generally good.