A new track from US pop queen Madonna is to be made available online for $1.50 before it appears in the shops.
Fans will be able to purchase the single 'American Life', which will be emailed to them in MP3 format on the release date of 24 March, along with an audio message from the singer.
The record company has agreed however, that if the single is leaked onto the internet prior to release they will send the email straight away to those who have already paid.
The MP3 file from madonna.com can then be played by the purchaser on their computer or burnt on to a CD.
The single is the title track from Madonna's tenth studio album, 'American Life'.
