At the beginning of each year, I always see hundreds (if not thousands) of social media posts from artists saying "this is my year." I understand that thinking positively and manifesting your future is helpful but you need to be realistic. There is more competition than ever and "making it" takes a lot of work especially if you are doing it independently. From what I noticed, the artists that gained a buzz in 2015 had put in the work during previous years. And I am beginning to think that just creating music isn't enough to "make it" anymore. You need to be an entrepreneur and think of the future. Step outside your comfort zone and do something no one has done before or do it better. Below is a list (in no particular order) of things I think all artists should invest in to make 2016 their year.

1) Invest in Educating Yourself

I am going to go out on a limb and assume that 95% of you reading this are independent artists. As an independent artist you need to handle all of the tasks a label would which includes everything from the business side to the music creation process. The reason labels were (are) able to break artists into the industry is because they had teams in place to cover all aspects of your career. So unless you have a indie team in place, you are looking to do 100% of the work by yourself. That's why I strongly suggest all independent artists invest in educating themselves. Learn the music industry inside and out. Learn how to copyright and distribute your own music. Learn best practices for social media and blog outreach. Most of this information is available for FREE on sites like Upcoming Hip Hop, SonicBids, DYI Musician, Business of Music, and so many more. Read a book on the music industry or entrepreneurship. Educating yourself is the first step to success in any industry.

2) Invest in Video

The only thing better than an a dope track is its accompanying video. Whether the video is simple or a movie, fans want to put a face to the sound. Investing in video will help expose your music to a new audience and has a better chance of going viral (compared to an audio track). Another reason you should invest in video is because Facebook pushes them to the top of user's feeds but only if you upload directly to Facebook which all artists should be doing anyway. Facebook said publicly that they will be focusing on video content this year and beyond. You can also upload snippets to almost all social media outlets and promote the link to the full video. Whether it is a music video, interview, snippet, or concert recap your fans want to see video. I can guarantee it. 2016 is the year to give them what they want.

3) Invest in Professional Mixing and Mastering

This may sound self explanatory but please invest in professional mixing and mastering. There is nothing worse than a great song that is plagued by poor quality. I understand that most independent artists don't have the budget for professional recording services and that a lot of you record at home but low quality mixes could result in your song not getting posted. You invested a lot of time and energy in creating the song, wouldn't you want it to be the best it can be? Use your home studio to perfect your song and then take it to a professional studio so you can nail it in one take. This will keep the studio hours to a minimum thus saving you money.

4) Invest in Supporting Fellow Artists

As a blog owner, fan of music and regular concert-goer, it's upsetting to see the lack of support for artists from artists both off and online. Many artists are hypocrites in the sense that they want support but they don't give it. Remember that support is a two-way street. The more love you show other artists, the more support they will show in return. At least I hope they will. Make sure your support feels genuine too because fake supporters are out there trying to get your support. There is room at the top for all talented artists so stop looking at other artists as competition. Team up with them and make something epic.

5) Invest in a PR and/or Marketing Agency

Just because you made a great track doesn't mean people are going to find it on their own and share it. A PR/Marketing agency will help you work with media outlets so that your song or project can reach it's maximum potential. A PR agency should send your music and content to media outlets and blogs in hopes of getting it featured. I see a lot of music submissions every week and I can tell who works with a professional and who doesn't. A lot of blogs including Upcoming Hip Hop, will delete your submission if you don't follow guidelines or are unprofessional. A PR/Marketing agency will also help you look like a professional online thus making you more appealing to media outlets. You need to have a team of professionals promoting your music if you want to make it in 2016. Upcoming Hip Hop does offer PR campaigns that also include marketing and consulting. Click here for more info.