Watch tonight: The German final!

Germany is ready to pick the representative for Copenhagen! For two days already, eight of the most popular acts in the current German music scene have been rehearsing in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. Now they are eagerly awaiting the verdict of the German public, who will solely decide who will be the lucky one to represent the country in the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest.

Out of the eight contestants, seven well-known acts have been chosen by an expert commission, while the eight one - "newcomer" band Elaiza - won a wildcard in a televised club concert following a Youtube selection in which no fewer than 2040 acts submitted their applications.

Apart from the eight contestants, last year's winner Emmelie de Forest will open the show with Only Teardrops and later perform her song Rainmaker. This year's Italian Eurovision representative Emma Marrone will present her entry La Mia Città to the German public.

The Line-Up

Those are the acts who will perform tonight, together with the titles of both of their songs in the competition:

You can listen to some of the entries on www.eurovision.de, the official German Eurovision website.

Watch live tonight!

The final of Unser Song für Dänemark will be broadcast tonight at 20:15 CET on the German public TV channel Das Erste. Of course you can also join us and watch the show live in our stream on Eurovision.tv!

The Voting

Now you have to pay attention because it's getting a bit difficult: We will have three rounds of voting tonight. First, all eight acts will perform one song each. After that, the public will be asked for their opinion the first time: Only the four top-placed acts in the televoting will move on to the second round.

Those four acts will then sing their respective second songs, after which it's time for the televoters to decide once again. This time, only two acts will proceed to the third round of voting. And this very round will be the decisive one!

Out of the two remainig acts, the public will pick the one who will be flying the German flag in Copenhagen. At the same time, they will decide which one out of their two songs is the most suitable for the Eurovision Song Contest stage.

The Presenters

The show will be hosted by well-known and loved presenter Barbara Schöneberger. She will be supported by equally popular Janin Reinhardt, who reports from the green room.

Get to Know the Acts!

We have compiled short biographies of the eight acts for you below!

Das Gezeichnete Ich

Das Gezeichnete Ich is actually a singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist from Berlin. He was the opening act in concerts of the Pet Shop Boys and a-ha, went on tour with famous German band Ich + Ich in 2010, and in the same year represented his home state of Brandenburg in the "Bundesvision Song Contest". His debut album placed 30th in the German charts, and his new album is due in February.

18-year-old Madeline Juno's first single Error became an instant hit, with the video gaining almost a million views on Youtube. The director of the German comedy Fack Ju Göthe (which went on to become the most successful German movie in 2013), Bora Dagtekin, subsequently chose it as its title song. Madeline Juno is known to a wider audience due to her numerous TV appearances.

MarieMarie unites traditional instruments like harp, dulcimer and cello with electronic beats and buzzing soundscapes. That's what the red-haired punk musician calles her music. This year the artist accompanied Bryan Ferry and the Pet Shop Boys on their concerts. Her first album Dream Machine will be released on February 7th, 2014.

Oceana - actress, presenter, and singer - is known for her mix of soul, pop, hip-hop and house. Her fan circles extend from Germany as far as Russia, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Poland, France, and Spain. Her song Endless Summer was the official anthem of the UEFA Euro 2012, which earned her a Golden Record in Germany.

Santiano are a true top act in the German-language music scene. The Northern German band links traditional international folk songs, pop music, rock'n'roll and irish folk within their own style of "shanty rock." Their 2012 debut album Bis ans Ende der Welt climbed to the first place in the German album charts, it gained four times platinum status and was awarded the national "Echo" prize.

The typical sounds of The Baseballs are well-liked all over Europe - in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland they topped the national charts, and the band consisting of Sam, Digger and Basti are also stars in The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Italy, Poland and Russia. In their home country - Germany - their albums were awarded gold and platinum status, while also reaching the top-ten.

With millions of albums sold in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Unheilig is one of the most successful German-language bands of the past decades. With their seventh studio album Grosse Freiheit and their song Geboren um zu leben, lead singer Der Graf and his band had their breakthrough in the German market in 2010. The follow-up Lichter der Stadt also reached the top spot of the national charts in the same three countries.

Elaiza is a female trio from Berlin, centering around the Ukrainian-German singer-songwriter Ela (21). Her fellow band member Yvonne (29) plays the accordion, and Natalie (28) the string bass. Ela and Yvonne got acquainted at a liquor tasting session, and Natalia joined them shortly afterwards. They first performed together in 2013.