The national final took place on 6 March 2008 and featured five competing acts with the winner being selected through two rounds of public televoting.

As a member of the "Big Four", Germany automatically qualified to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

[1] Germany has won the contest on one occasion: in 1982 with the song "Ein bißchen Frieden" performed by Nicole.

In 2006, the German entry "No No Never" performed by Texas Lightning placed fourteenth out of twenty-four competing songs scoring 36 points.

[2] Since 1996, NDR had set up national finals with several artists to choose both the song and performer to compete at Eurovision for Germany.

[5] Five acts were selected by a panel consisting of representatives of NDR from proposals received by the broadcaster from record companies.

[7] A celebrity also supported each of the artists: Cinema Bizarre by actor Tetje Mierendorf, Carolin Fortenbacher by 1970, 1971 and 1980 German Eurovision entrant Katja Ebstein, Marquess by comedian Oliver Pocher, No Angels by Tagesschau news anchor Marc Bator, and Tommy Reeve by singer and presenter Kim Fisher.

According to the rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top nine songs from each semi-final as determined by televoting progress to the final, and a tenth was determined by back-up juries.

[15] The LED screens displayed flying feathers on a blue ground and the performance featured the use of wind machines as well as smoke and pyrotechnic effects.