Madonna does it her way

Once again, Madonna has done things differently. This time she has signed a joint recording and touring contract.

The deal with concert promoter Live Nation is reported to be the first of its kind for a major star.

It follows a few other recent unusual music deals including Radiohead releasing their album as a download from their website with downloaders chosing how much to pay and Sir Paul McCartney signing a deal with Starbucks's record label, which sold his album in its coffee shops.