Today, Amazon Music announces the hire of Raymond Leon Roker as its global head of editorial. He will “lead all aspects of Amazon Music’s editorial content strategy across music, video, and voice,” according to the announcement, be based in Los Angeles and will report to Ryan Redington, director of Amazon Music. Nathan Brackett, Amazon Music’s head of editorial for the U.S. since 2016, will report to Roker.
“What immediately appealed to me about Amazon Music, was the unfettered desire, and like-minded drive of the team to create compelling content and storytelling across a variety of different vessels,” said Roker. “Amazon Music is uniquely positioned to develop a creative editorial portfolio across voice, visual, and streaming, and I’m thrilled to build upon the incredible work that’s already been done, creating premium content for music fans around the globe.”
Roker joins Amazon Music from AEG, where he most recently served as Head of AEG Studios, leading content development across music, sports, and facilities. While at AEG, he spent seven years as EIC/Creative Director of the Coachella Valley Music + Arts Festival Live Stream on YouTube, and was an executive producer of the 2020 documentary, “Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert.” Raymond began his career as the co-founder + CEO/Publisher of the lifestyle publication URB.
“Raymond is an industry leader, and is coming to Amazon Music with an incredibly valuable perspective for compelling content,” said Redington. “As we continue to work closely with labels and artists to break boundaries across music and culture, Raymond is bringing decades of experience as a respected, strategic storyteller who will change the way our customers experience music around the world.”
Raymond is joining a team that in the past year has produced a series of short-form documentaries highlighting pivotal moments in artists’ careers, including Still Ill: 25 Years of the Beastie Boys’ Ill Communication; The Birth of Biggie: 25 Years of Ready to Die; Mariah Carey is Christmas: The Story of ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’; and Departure, a look at Sharon Van Etten’s last days of living in New York City before her move to Los Angeles.