Steve Boom
{{Short description|American executive (born 1968)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Steve Boom
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1968}}{{cite magazine |last1=Witt |first1=Stephen |title=Billboard Power 100 Cover: Amazon's Jeff Bezos & Steve Boom on Starting a New 'Golden Age' for Music |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/jeff-bezos-steve-boom-amazon-power-100-cover-7684981/ |access-date=7 February 2024 |magazine=Billboard |date=9 February 2017}}
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| education = {{plainlist|
- Stanford University (BS, AB)
- Harvard University (JD)}}
| occupation = {{plainlist|
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Steve Boom is Vice President of Audio (encompassing Amazon Music, Audible, and Wondery), Twitch & Games at Amazon.{{cite news |date=5 September 2018 |title=Steve Boom |url=https://variety.com/exec/steve-boom/ |access-date=7 February 2024 |work=Variety |language=en}} Before that, he was the Vice President of Amazon Music.
Early career
Boom received a JD from Harvard Law School{{cite news |last1=Soper |first1=Spencer |title=Amazon CEO, Putting Stamp on Company, Promotes Four Executives |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-07/amazon-ceo-putting-stamp-on-company-promotes-four-executives |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Bloomberg |date=7 December 2022 |language=en}} in 1994.{{cite web |title=Fireside Chat with Steve Boom, VP of Amazon Music, JD '94 |url=https://hcsanfrancisco.clubs.harvard.edu/article.html?aid=1226 |website=Harvard Club of San Francisco |access-date=10 February 2024 |language=en}} After law school, Boom began his career as an attorney at Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C.,{{cite journal|doi=10.2307/840514|jstor=840514 |title=The European Union after the Maastricht Decision: Will Germany be the "Virginia of Europe?" |last1=Boom |first1=Steve J. |journal=The American Journal of Comparative Law |date=1995 |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=177–226 }} and then Venture Law Group in Silicon Valley, advising software and internet startups.
He joined Yahoo Inc. in 1998{{cite news |last1=Arrington |first1=Michael |title=More Yahoo Senior Exec Defections: Steve Boom and Todd Teresi |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/08/27/more-yahoo-senior-exec-defections-steve-boom-and-todd-teresi/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=TechCrunch |date=27 August 2008}} as director of business development for Yahoo Europe.{{cite news |last1=Sanchez |first1=Jana |title=Yahoo to adapt for mobile phones |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/1366778/yahoo-to-adapt-for-mobile-phones.html |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Computerworld |date=11 December 2000 |language=en}} In October 2002, he became the company's senior vice president of business and enterprise services.{{cite news |title=Yahoo Executive Is Dismissed - WSJ |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1034902867620389148 |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=17 October 2002}} Boom worked at Yahoo for 10 years, departing in 2008{{cite news |last1=Shankland |first1=Stephen |title=Yahoo revamps mobile group for profitability plan |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/yahoo-revamps-mobile-group-for-profitability-plan/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=CNET |date=29 September 2008 |language=en}} as senior vice president of the Connected Life division, where he managed the company's mobile and broadband businesses.{{cite news |last1=Nagri |first1=Idris |title=Yahoo Expands Reach of OneSearch in Europe, Latin America |url=https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2007/10/01/yahoo-expands-reach-of-onesearch-in-europe-latin-america/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Search Engine Watch |date=1 October 2007}} Boom led the rollout of Yahoo's mobile advertising network{{cite news |title=Yahoo to Offer a Network for Web Ads on Cellphones |url=https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2007/03/27/yahoo-to-offer-a-network-for-web-ads-on-cellphones/31518067007/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Gainesville Sun |date=27 March 2007}} and Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0.{{cite news |last1=Helft |first1=Miguel |title=Yahoo Introduces Mobile Service Software |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/technology/09yahoo.html |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=9 January 2007}} He also played a role in Yahoo's investment in speech recognition company Vlingo.{{cite news |title=Yahoo Leads $20 Million Round for Vlingo |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/yahoo-leads-20-million-round-for-vlingo/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=DealBook |date=3 April 2008 |language=en}}
In January 2009,{{cite news |title=Former Yahoo executive named Mig33 CEO |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/01/12/daily40.html |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=San Francisco Business Times |date=14 January 2009}} Boom became CEO of mig33, a mobile social networking service popular primarily outside the U.S.{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Matt |title=Mig33 is most downloaded mobile app — have you heard of it? |url=https://venturebeat.com/social/mig33-is-most-downloaded-mobile-app-have-you-heard-of-it/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=VentureBeat |date=25 June 2009}} He transitioned to the executive chairman role in March 2010.{{cite news |last1=Takahashi |first1=Dean |title=mig33's mobile chat service finds success in emerging markets |url=https://venturebeat.com/mobile/mig33s-move-to-asia-puts-it-head-to-head-with-chinas-mobile-chat-king/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=VentureBeat |date=17 March 2010}} Boom joined Loopt as its president in August 2010{{cite news |last1=Ha |first1=Anthony |title=Loopt hires mobile veteran to reclaim the location crown |url=https://venturebeat.com/mobile/loopt-recruits-a-mobile-veteran-to-reclaim-the-location-crown/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=VentureBeat |date=30 August 2010}} and was also an adviser to video service Vuclip.{{cite news |last1=Satariano |first1=Adam |title=Amazon's Music Service Said to Hit Snags With Universal |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-06-11/amazon-s-music-service-said-to-hit-snags-with-universal |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Bloomberg.com |date=12 June 2014 |language=en}}
Amazon
Boom joined Amazon in 2012 to develop and launch the Amazon Music business.{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Thania |title=Amazon Music's Ryan Redington Promoted to General Manager |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/amazon-music-promotes-ryan-redington-general-manager-1235673081/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Variety |date=18 July 2023}} He led the transition of the business from selling MP3 music downloads to providing music streaming, including the introduction of Amazon Prime Music in 2014{{cite news |last1=Tu |first1=Janet I. |title=Amazon launches streaming music for Prime members |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-launches-streaming-music-for-prime-members/ |access-date=7 February 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=12 June 2014}} and the rollout of the Amazon Music Unlimited streaming service in 2016.{{cite news |last1=Sisario |first1=Ben |title=Amazon Pairs Its Speaker With Streaming Music, at a Bargain Price |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/12/business/amazon-music-apple-spotify.html |access-date=7 February 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=12 October 2016}} In January 2020, Boom reported that Amazon Music had 55 million users.{{cite news |title=Amazon Music subscriber numbers close in on Apple |url=https://www.ft.com/content/8acedb52-3be2-11ea-a01a-bae547046735 |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Financial Times |date=22 January 2020}} As head of Amazon Music, he led the 2021{{cite news |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Podcast Studio Wondery, Now Owned by Amazon, Plans to Double Staff This Year |url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/wondery-jen-sargent-podcast-double-staff-1234942792/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Variety |date=1 April 2021}} acquisitions of podcast network Wondery{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Lucas |title=Amazon's Move Into Podcasts Was a Big Advertising Play All Along |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-16/amazon-amzn-eyes-podcast-advertising-market-with-wondery-smartless-deals |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Bloomberg |date=16 August 2021 |language=en}} and podcast hosting and advertising company Art19{{cite news |title=Why Podcasting? For Amazon, The Answer Seems To Be Advertising. |url=https://www.insideradio.com/free/why-podcasting-for-amazon-the-answer-seems-to-be-advertising/article_ea1a1b7a-ff23-11eb-8b16-d719e383c470.html |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Inside Radio |date=17 August 2021 |language=en}} as Amazon Music expanded into podcasts. In 2022, Boom also led the expansion of the service to offer streaming of its entire catalog to Amazon Prime members{{cite news |last1=Patel |first1=Nilay |title=Why Amazon VP Steve Boom just made the entire music catalog free with Prime |url=https://www.theverge.com/23433343/amazon-music-prime-steve-boom-taylor-swift-midnights-spotify-apple-streaming-podcasts-decoder |access-date=7 February 2024 |work=The Verge |date=1 November 2022 |language=en}} and the rollout of Amazon Music Live, a concert series airing on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch following Thursday Night Football.{{cite magazine |last1=DiGiacomo |first1=Frank |last2=Knopper |first2=Steve |date=2 February 2023 |title=Billboard's 2023 Power 100: Executives List Revealed |url=https://www.billboard.com/h/billboard-2023-power-100-executives-list/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |magazine=Billboard}}
With the retirement of Senior Vice President Jeff Blackburn in December 2022,{{Cite web |date=2022-12-03 |title=Amazon head of Prime Video, Twitch and gaming retires again - Glamsham |url=https://glamsham.com/world/technology/amazon-head-of-prime-video-twitch-and-gaming-retires-again/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Amazon |date=2022-12-02 |title=Longtime Amazon leader and SVP, Jeff Blackburn, to retire from Amazon |url=https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/longtime-amazon-leader-and-svp-jeff-blackburn-to-retire-from-amazon |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=www.aboutamazon.com |language=en}} Boom took on expanded leadership to include Audible, Twitch and Amazon Games, reporting to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.{{cite news |last1=Goldberg |first1=Lesley |title=Jeff Blackburn Retires as Head of Amazon's Global Entertainment Group |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jeff-blackburn-retires-as-head-of-amazons-global-entertainment-group-1235274158/ |access-date=7 February 2024 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2 December 2022}} Ryan Redington, general manager of Amazon Music, and Dan Clancy, CEO of Twitch, report to Boom.{{Cite web |last=Goldsmith |first=Annie |date=2023-06-16 |title=Twitch’s New CEO Tries to Strike the Right Chords |url=https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-bandleader-stuck-in-the-middle-with-twitchs-iconoclastic-new-ceo |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=The Information}}
Additionally, Boom is the longest-running chairman of music aid organization MusiCares, first joining the organization's board in 2017.{{cite news |title=Mick Management's Michael McDonald Named Chair of MusiCares Foundation, Amazon's Steve Boom Joins Board |url=https://variety.com/2017/music/news/musicares-foundation-board-michael-mcdonald-amazon-steve-boom-1202534549/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Variety |date=21 August 2017}} In this role, he helped create the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund and guide distribution of $35 million in COVID-19 pandemic aid.{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Thania |last2=Aswad |first2=Jem |date=3 March 2023 |title=Music Industry Moves: Nashville's Anzie Blue Reopens as Live Music Venue |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/steve-boom-amazon-uja-visionary-award-1235538477/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=Variety}}{{cite magazine |last1=Ward |first1=Andrew |title=MusiCares, The Amazing Organization Supporting the People Behind the Music |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/musicares-the-amazing-organization-supporting-the-people-1234683727/ |access-date=22 April 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=23 February 2023}}