Mr Freeman, who was previously head of multimedia at the Press Association, will lead the Guardian's development of online video - to be launched at the end of the summer.
Mr Wells, who was appointed media editor in 2005, will take responsibility for the development of all audio and podcast programming.
Emily Bell, director of digital content at Guardian News and Media, said: "Robert and Matt bring considerable experience to these new roles, enabling us to build and expand our expertise in-house as we continue to develop our approach to multimedia."
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Related articles
- Newsrewired special: training and retaining new journalists
- How has the pandemic changed media recruitment?
- Jo Adetunji, editor of The Conversation, on recruiting diverse talent
- David Higgerson, chief audience officer, Reach plc, on overcoming leadership challenges during the pandemic
- Daniell Morrisey: How to prepare a killer CV