The BBC and major music label EMI have announced a deal that allows artists from the archives of both parties to be streamed online for the first time.

The two parties have over 400,000 hours of footage between them that will now be released, broadcast and streamed for the first time. As part of the deal, rare footage of such music greats as David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney can be released on EMI, with the BBC set to benefit from the rights to broadcast and stream the same material.

Music lovers everywhere are salivating at the news, which is set to bring a bumper crop of releases. Just some of the archive material due to be released under the deal include live radio performances from Pink Floyd, including an ultra rare 1967 session, as well as early material from current Clash Magazine cover stars Coldplay.

There is currently no date set for a re-issue programme, or the beginning of online streaming.

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