The recent controversy about Napster and MP3 files has thrust the "old economy" music industry into the spotlight and left its future open to many new opportunities. If you're an audiophile and intrigued by the Internet, then perhaps a career in the emerging online music industry is worth checking out.

As the technologies evolve and sites multiply, so do the opportunities for jobs in this industry. Companies not only need technical people

Hottest Music Sites on the Web Epitonic Free MP3 music, heavy emphasis on alternative and experimental music genres. EMusic Claims to have the largest catalog of downloadable MP3 music available for purchase. Listen.com A site that guides you through the maze of downloadable music. MP3.com MP3 downloads galore. Napster Home of the infamous file swapping program SonicNet One of the first music and online radio sites. Real.com Home of the RealAudio Player and RealJukebox.

who know the latest music formats (MP3, WMA, Liquid Audio and Real Audio), they also need marketing specialists, music and software reviewers, business and salespeople, and more. Here’s how some industry insiders got their big breaks. Listen up: You just may find your next career.

For Cindy Lunden, director of marketing at Listen.com, finding a great job in the music industry was all about narrowing down her options and being as specific as possible about what she wanted. The job had to be in consumer marketing at a startup in the online music space. "Once I had that figured out, I started telling people," she says. It turns out that a person she knew through freelancing knew someone at Listen.com and the rest, as they say, is history.

Before joining Listen, Lunden had worked for various startups doing recruiting, but she eventually realized that recruiting didn’t make her excited, but music did. If you want to work in this industry, follow her lead and be very specific about what you want. She also recommends that you be

"just a tiny bit more aggressive than you think you should be." After all, it’s a highly competitive industry and sitting back waiting for an opportunity to come your way is probably not going to get you anywhere, " says Lunden. If you're having a hard time figuring out what you want, try a career coach. And don't forget how important it is to really be interested in your field. If you're bored, there's no way you'll be a success."

In addition to knowing exactly what you want, another key to landing a job in the fast-growing online music industry is having a strong Web background. At least that’s the case for Chris Von Ruhmohr, a producer at Listen.com. "For me, the 'online' in 'online music' comes first," he says. Prior to joining Listen.com, he worked for several Internet companies including CNET, Red Sky Interactive and Ripple Effects Interactive.

"Working at those companies gave me a broad perspective on how to build, maintain and market a site on the Web," says Von Ruhmohr. He also had music experience from his days spent writing reviews as a freelancer, being a DJ and playing in a band. "Having the music experience certainly didn't hurt, but the online skills were indispensable to landing a job at Listen," he says

According to Von Ruhmohr, the best and worst thing about the online music world is the uncertainty. "What's good about the uncertainty is that since listening to music online has yet to be shaped and defined, I have a chance to help design the products that people will use to discover and listen to music," he says. "Of course, this uncertainty has a frustrating downside: The target you're aiming for always seems to be moving. What's hot today is obsolete tomorrow."

As he points out, this industry is still in its infancy and will experience tremendous growth in the next few years. Now’s the time to tune in.