But in a break with tradition, the final price will be determined by how popular the album is, EMI Music and the Cliff Richard Organisation announced.

The maximum anyone will be charged is £7.99, the cost of an album on iTunes, but the price could fall to a minimum of £3.99 depending on how many copies of the album are ordered online.

"Who’d have thought I’d get a buzz from creative marketing?" he said. "As artists we face a stark choice. We either keep one step ahead of the technology which is changing our industry so radically – or we throw up our hands and quit. Personally I’m not for quitting."

This download is in the MP3 format, which means it will play on all PCs and portable devices, including the iPod.

"Who’d have thought I’d get a buzz from creative marketing?" he said. "As artists we face a stark choice. We either keep one step ahead of the technology which is changing our industry so radically – or we throw up our hands and quit..."