Chris Sherron is an audio artist who’s recently begun offering wallpapers as well as ringtones through Zedge Premium. He was kind enough to answer a few questions about his work with Zedge.
Where are you located?
I was born and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee. I'm happy in my hometown and can't picture myself anywhere else. I've spent my creative life broadcasting on terrestrial radio, creating original ringtones, podcasting, writing, and, most recently, creating wallpapers.
What kind of art do you make?
I'd say untraditional. My ringtones will always be my first love. Many of them are fun and pretty goofy. I get excited when folks all over the world download my material. It reminds me that I'm not the only dork on the planet.
When and why did you first become an artist?
I had this friend who was obsessed with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I made an Arnold ringtone on an old site called Phonezoo that isn't around anymore. It was just me pretending to be the Terminator. I spent a few minutes producing it, uploaded it, and sent it to my friend. When I checked it the next day, it had over seven thousand downloads. I was hooked after that.
What else do you do for a living, if anything? What percentage of your income comes from that vs. your art?
In real life, I work for a corporate company handling franchise support, the company's podcast, and many other things that keep me busy throughout the day. The money generated from my creative side makes up about 10% of my income. It's great extra cash and helpful when it comes to saving.
What tools do you use most in your work, and how has that changed over time?
I used a cheap headphone and mic combo when I first started. As time progressed, I started building up a collection of recording equipment, and now I have a nice home studio. My favorite piece is my Rode Caster Pro mixing board, which is fantastic for podcasting and recording my ringtones. I also wouldn't know what to do without WavePad audio editing software by NCH. I can manipulate one short sound into an endless array of annoying message alerts.
What's your opinion of AI image generators? If you use them in your work, please tell us how. I'm digging AI so far. I recently began using it a couple of months ago to expand my Zedge audience. I hoped that I'd be able to bring more people to my ringtones by publishing cool wallpapers. It turns out users like my wallpapers, and I'm actually making a bit extra off of that. I'm not the best or most experienced in wallpapers, so I primarily stick to things I enjoy.
How and when did you first discover Zedge Premium?
I believe it was about three years ago. I got excited because it enabled me to do things I enjoy AND make some extra cash. I was making money as soon as I signed up.
How many items do you upload each day/week/month on average?
Some days, I don't upload anything. Some days, I may upload as many as 20 items.
What are some of your most successful works with Zedge users? How much has each one earned you?
My best earner of all time is an alert called “dRiip” under my BLEEP profile. That one alone has made over a grand, and it took me about ten seconds to produce. I can make weird drip sounds by thumping my cheek. Of my top five most popular sounds, four are quick notification sounds like pops and drips, and one is my voice manipulated to sound like a robot called “WhatsApp Notification” under my main Chris Sherron profile.
What are some of your favorite recent pieces of work that are available in Zedge?
It's a little embarrassing, but I just uploaded one called “Take Off My Pants,” which makes me laugh for some reason.
What's surprised you about Zedge users?
I may enjoy the longer, goofy ringtones, but the quick, subtle notification sounds are the way to make money, so I had to adapt. Don't get me wrong, I still make things that normal people would probably never download, but I go into it knowing they will get little attention.
What tips or tricks do you have for other Zedge artists?
Put out your best work. If you enjoy it and believe it's good, others will also.
What other artists or works inspire you?
The entire creative community of Zedge inspires me to do my best. I don't have a choice if I want to keep up.