Sheridan, who will release his debut pop album, Speak Love, on November 27, played at NXFM'S Steve and Kim's Jingle Ball at Isobar on Friday.

But since the announcement that he had signed with Sony Music in August, the Silver Logie Award winner has been worried the public might not take his new endeavour seriously.

"One of the things I was really worried about was that stigma about people who find fame and then release an album; with a lot of those people you don't know if they're serious about their music or just cashing in," Sheridan said.

"I guess the challenge is to get my music out there. Hopefully it speaks for itself."

Sheridan, 23, shot to fame last year as Ben Rafter in Prime's hit comedy-drama but has always balanced acting with his love of music.

He grew up the sixth of seven children in Adelaide and said his family had always encouraged his artistic abilities.

"We were a big, musical family.

"Dad was a jazz singer, I've got three sisters who are DJs and a brother who is a country singer/songwriter, so there was no escape from music," he said.

"I grew up sitting and listening just in awe to everyone from Bob Dylan to David Bowie to Sinatra and I was singing all their songs from a really young age."

He said he drew particular inspiration from Michael Jackson.

"When he died I felt like I had to do something, so I wrote a song that was inspired by his death, and that was Speak Love, the title of the album.

"The song is all about taking every day as if it's your last and that became the message of the whole album."