© Jan Karow
Amateur Music
16.3 million people in Germany play music in their free time: a strong foundation for musical life and society
Current figures show that 21% of the population aged six and older currently play music regularly in their free time. And there is a clear upward trend: the number has risen from 14.3 million people (2021) to 16.3 million (2025). Amateur music-making holds valuable potential for music education, participation, social cohesion, and cultural diversity in Germany.
We are committed to:
sustainable financial support for amateur music-making at the federal, state, and local levels
the extension of the Federal Ministry of Education's „Kultur macht stark“ funding program beyond 2027
safeguarding and strengthening volunteer work and civic engagement by establishing appropriate conditions and reducing bureaucratic hurdles
the continuation and needs-based funding of the „Amateurmusikfonds“
promoting shared musical experiences as a strategy to combat loneliness and foster social and cultural participation, even in the face of illness and in old age
the recognition, appreciation, and protection of musical diversity in the amateur music sector
Further Informations
The resolution drafted during the “Music and Democracy” symposium in October 2025 and adopted by the General Assembly of the German Music Council „Musik fördert die Demokratie! Impulse, Forderungen und Bekenntnis“ makes it clear: Music connects people across social, cultural, and linguistic boundaries, enables participation, and thereby strengthens social cohesion and democratic values. We therefore call for better conditions for music education, cultural diversity, volunteerism, and non-discriminatory access to musical life.
The representative survey of the German population aged six and older was conducted from November 2024 to January 2025 by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research on behalf of the German Music Information Center (miz), an institution of the German Music Council. It shows that 21% of the German population aged six and older play a musical instrument in their free time—that is, approximately 16.3 million people, about 2 million more than four years earlier.
The resolution drafted during the 2024 Music and Health Symposium and adopted by the General Assembly of the German Music Council emphasizes that actively making music and participating in music have been shown to promote physical, mental, and social health. She therefore calls for music to be more firmly established in policy and society as a health resource—for example, through preventive programs, music therapy, research, and health-oriented training for musicians and educators.
Amateur Music is Intangible Cultural Heritage
A milestone in the commitment to amateur music: At the recommendation of the German Music Council, in close cooperation with the Federal Association of German Orchestra Associations (BDO), amateur instrumental music-making was added to the Bundesweite Verzeichnis des Immateriellen Kulturerbes in 2016. UNESCO cited, among other reasons, the special role of amateur music as an „intergenerational, cross-class, and intercultural form of culture".
Landmusik
© Priscilla Du Preetz
An award recognizing particularly vibrant and innovative cultural life in rural areas: Since 2021, the „Landmusik“ program—developed by the German Music Council—has been promoting networking between amateur musicians and the professional music scene in rural areas. Since 2025, the program’s „Landmusikort des Jahres“ award has been organized and presented jointly by the German Music Council and the BMCO using funds from the Amateur Music Fund.
Fête de la Musique
Music brings people together: The German Music Council, on whose initiative „Tag der Musik“ has been celebrated annually since 2009, and the Fête de la Musique network have been joining forces since 2024. Since then, Fête de la Musique has served as the joint, nationwide umbrella organization for the event. This music festival—the largest in the world, which originated in Paris in 1982—celebrates understanding, tolerance, and togetherness through the unifying power of music. Every year, more than 1,000 cities worldwide participate in the Fête.
More Informations
We support Amateur Music!
Through its funding projects, the German Music Council plays a key role in promoting amateur music: In particular, the Deutsche Chorwettbewerb and the Deutsche Orchesterwettbewerb provide amateur ensembles with motivating incentives for their rehearsals and the opportunity for personal and musical encounters. Since its founding in 1963, Jugend musiziert has also made a significant contribution to fostering a thriving amateur music scene.
© Nathan Dreessen, DOW/DMR
© Jan Karow, DCW/DMR
© Jan Karow, DCW/DMR
Contact
E-Mail: generalsekretariat@musikrat.de