Guide · Updated September 21, 2026 · 4 min read
Case study: Marc Hudson of DragonForce releasing solo on Audora
What the release pipeline looks like in practice when a working metal vocalist goes solo.
Most distribution services show you a dashboard. This is what a release looks like when a team is involved. Marc Hudson, vocalist of the power metal band DragonForce, released his solo single "Golden," a metal cover of the theme from Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, through Audora on March 27, 2026. This case study, published with Marc's permission, walks through what that involved. You can hear it on Spotify.
Key takeaways
- Like every Audora release, "Golden" went from submission to worldwide release through The Orchard, the distribution network the major labels use.
- Marc owns his master recording, and Audora takes no cut of his streaming royalties, as with every Audora artist.
- His public artist page on Audora carries his bio, photos and releases, and doubles as his press page.
- A person at Audora checked the release before delivery.
Who this is about
Marc Hudson has fronted DragonForce, one of power metal's most recognizable bands, since 2011. When he wanted a home for solo material, he had the same two options as every independent artist: anonymous self-serve upload platforms on one side and, on the other, selective label-services companies that mostly sign artists who already have big numbers.
Audora sits in between: a small roster, human review and delivery through The Orchard, the distribution network the major labels use. It's for artists who aren't yet at the scale the selective services want.
What the release involved
- Catalog first. "Golden" was set up in his catalog on Audora with complete metadata (ISRC and UPC codes, credits and genre tags) before anything was submitted anywhere.
- Artist brand and press page. Marc's artist page carries his bio and photos alongside his releases, so press and fans need only one link.
- Human review. A person at Audora checked the audio, artwork and metadata before delivery. Automated-only pipelines are where most release errors and false fraud flags come from.
- Delivery through The Orchard. The single went out to the major streaming services the same way every Audora release does, timed for a set release date.
Why this matters if you're not famous
The catalog, the brand, the human review and the delivery through The Orchard are the same whether you're an established touring vocalist or releasing your first single.
Distribution is half the job. Audora handles the promotion too. In Promotion it drafts a campaign for each release (captions, hashtags and promo videos) and publishes approved posts on schedule. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram (Stories included) and Facebook Pages post automatically, and nothing goes out until you approve it. A Facebook Page post is a photo or a link, never a video. Stories carry no link sticker, so your release link goes in your bio.
Questions
Did Marc Hudson keep the rights to his recording?
Yes. He owns his master recording of "Golden," and Audora takes no percentage of his streaming royalties. Because "Golden" is a cover, the underlying song's publishing royalties go to its original writers, as they would through any distributor.
What is "Golden" and where can I hear it?
"Golden" is Marc Hudson's solo single (his metal cover of "Golden," the theme song from Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters), released through Audora on March 27, 2026. You can hear it on Spotify at open.spotify.com/album/1Dfkrl4HfDn7GFewbY3GVf and see it on his Audora artist page at audora.music/artist/marc-hudson.
Did Audora approve this case study?
Yes, and so did Marc. The case study is published with his permission, and the facts in it come from his public Audora artist page and his release record.
Can any artist get the same release process?
Yes. Create your account and set up your first release. Every artist on Audora gets the same catalog, checks and delivery through The Orchard as this release.