Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Limp Bizkit and Blink 182. You've heard of all those bands due to the coverage they get by local radio stations and cable television channels such as MTV. You know when these bands are coming to your town. You see the commercials on TV. You hear the ads on the radio.

What if you're in a band that hasn't reached that level of stardom? Who is going to come to your shows? How can you be heard? What can you do to get your message out? In the not too distant past, you would take whatever you could get. You would play weddings, birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs and you'd probably even settle for the occasional funeral. My how times have changed.

Enter: The Internet

So your band isn't getting the press you would like? What can you do?

Step 1 - Get out there
Get yourself a website. A professional looking website would probably be a good idea. Include sections that contain your bands history, bios of each member, some sound samples, merchandise info, contact info, and lastly, links to other music related websites

Step 2 - Open your eyes
Search sites such as Yahoo, Nerdworld and Altavista to find websites that are dedicated to the local music scene in your region.

Step 3 - Build Contacts
Email the owners of those sites and ask them to place a link to your band on their page. Most of them will have a dedicated section just for band links. Be sure to tell them you will place a reciprocal link on your own website.

Step 4 - Play out
Crack open those search engines once again. This time try to find other local bands that play music similar to your own. See if they have any upcoming gigs listed on their site. Jot down the names of the clubs they are playing at. You can use a site such as Infospace to find the phone numbers of these clubs. Call them up and ask them who handles their booking.

Step 5 - Make Friends
Get connected. When just starting out, you can never have too many friends in the scene. Go to lots of shows in your area. Talk with other bands. Don't be afraid to ask them questions. Tell them you're looking to play out. When all is said and done, give them your email address, along with your website url, and hope they get back to you.

Ok, I did all that. I'm still not rich.

You shouldn't focus on making money. Your goal should be to get your message (if you have one) out to as many people as possible. If you can't do that in the eye of the public, turn to the internet.

One of the best ways to get heard is getting your band listed on MP3.com. Ever hear of the bands Anti-Freeze, the Excuse or Sick Shift? Probably not. But they've all made over $1,000 in payback earning through MP3.com. Sure, not all bands are going to have that kind of luck. You could be like the pop-punk band Lucky 7. They've only made a tick over $11,000. Ok, so those are the extreme examples. If you're just starting out you'll probably make a couple bucks a month. But at least your material will be out there. You can tell people, "listen to our stuff at mp3.com/myband, let us know what you think."

You have to make the most out of the technology that is at your fingertips. Keep a fresh website and stay active in your local music scene. That's the first few steps on the path to success.