Jacob Praetorius, also known as Schultz, was a prominent German Baroque composer and organist born on February 8, 1586. He was the son of Hieronymus Praetorius and the grandson of Jacob Praetorius the Elder, both of whom were composers, as was his brother Johann. Jacob Praetorius was a student of the renowned Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and became one of the leading organists and respected teachers in the north German tradition before Johann Sebastian Bach.

In 1603, Praetorius became the organist at the Petrikirche in Hamburg, a position he held throughout his life. His most notable student was Matthias Weckmann, who studied with him from 1633 to 1636 and later joined him in Hamburg as the organist at the Jakobikirche. Praetorius's compositions blend traditional and progressive elements, with his three surviving preludes exemplifying the sectionalism and diverse styles that characterized the genre. These works feature a rhapsodic opening section that anticipates the stylus phantasticus style later popularized by composers like Dieterich Buxtehude, followed by a fugal section adhering to traditional contrapuntal rules.

Jacob Praetorius passed away on October 21 or 22, 1651. His contributions to the Baroque period, particularly in organ music, left a lasting impact on the development of the genre.