BBC in talks with labels to open musical vaults for exploitation.

BBC Worldwide to allow majors to incorporate archive recordings and footage on future releases in "no brainer" global deal aiming to raise Corporation revenue

BBC Worldwide is in talks with a number of independent and major labels over licensing deals to release archive music material from the Corporation's vaults.

The proposed deals with BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, will give labels access to any of its artists' BBC performances for use in promotional and bonus material and one-off releases, while the BBC will be able use the content for TV and online distribution.

The Corporation has already signed a similar deal with Universal, which has led to the release of BBC sessions albums from artists including PJ Harvey and The La's.

According to BBC Worldwide, it will sign deals with several major labels over the next four months. It has also been in talks with what it describes as a "major indie" and Aim.

"Until now, no one has been able to do anything because everyone has been trapped in a triangle of individual rights," says BBC Worldwide head of audio and music Paul Dempsey. "We know physical product is a label's strong point and TV rights are ours and there is nowhere like the BBC for sheer amount of artist footage."

"It's a no-brainer," agrees BBC Worldwide head of commercial affairs Salim Mukaddam. "There's such a demand for unique content for releases. Not only will an artist get more of their content distributed around the world, it can also help boost album sales."