The ‘Music and Media’ study and research focus examines questions and issues relating to the aesthetic and social implications of developments and upheavals in media technology, both historically and in the present day. The nature and, above all, the cultural use of music have changed significantly over the course of history in the face of developments in media technology. Of particular significance in this context have been the systems for recording music – written notation, mechanical-chemical recording or digital encoding. These have played a decisive role in shaping our understanding of what music actually is and how it can be engaged with.