Up until now, this practice has been banned by the Phonographic Performance Ltd but under the new agreement, RadioCentre members will be allowed to include up to 30 seconds of music a track, excluding voiceovers, in downloads of their radio programmes.
Permission will be granted under a collective licence for a 12-month trial period, which commenced on April 1.
Fran Nevrkla, chairman and chief executive of the PPL and the VPL, the music video licensing society, said: "This is a non-precedential deal covering the download of programmes to incorporate 30-second music clips and allows radio to evolve further as a growing medium in the 21st century."
Andrew Harrison, chief executive of The RadioCentre, said: "This is a first for radio in the UK and a significant opportunity for RadioCentre members. In today's changing media landscape, flexible licensing for new-media activities is the only way forward to enable us to compete in this fast-paced digital world.
"This deal highlights how rights users and rights holders can work together for mutual gain. Commercial radio is delighted to be leading the way in this area."
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