Not without music business. The higher education of musicians and music industry workers in Germany

This article discusses the higher education of musicians and music industry workers
within the field of Popular Music in Germany. For a successful education, which en-
ables a long-term sustainable career within the music industry, we argue that stu-
dents need both artistic as well as entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. The last 15
years have seen the introduction of new degree programs with a strong focus on
practical skills by giving their students a good knowledge of the music industry and
a broad network to draw on as well as by encouraging creativity. This is in part
done through cooperation with actors in the industry – be it through the teachers,
the teaching projects or through tours and artistic collaborations with bands. This
article demonstrates this approach through two case studies – one artistic (Popa-
kademie Baden-Württemberg) and one music business (Macromedia University of
Applied Sciences). The article also lists the current artistic and business-oriented de-
gree programs at state-funded as well as private universities to give an overview of
the available degree programs.