The British music star has given fans the right to create a new song by using computer music software to blend or "mash up" two existing tracks.

The winning song will be released as an MP3 and its creator will win a car.

"I'm very comfortable with the idea and have been the subject of quite a few pretty good mash-ups myself," Bowie told The Times newspaper.

Trend

The contest requires entrants to blend any song from the singer's latest album Reality with any other Bowie song.

A number of entries will be broadcast via the Bowienet website, with listeners selecting finalists before Bowie chooses the winner.

Mash-ups are the latest trend to be embraced by the 57-year-old star, who described himself as "a hybrid maker off and on".

He said: "Mash-ups were a great appropriation idea just waiting to happen."

As computer music software and digital sound files, such as MP3s, have become more accessible, numerous "mash-ups" have been released via online song-swapping services.

Some are approved by the original artists and subsequently released, such as the Sugababes' 2002 number one hit Freak Like. Created by producer Richard X, it blended Gary Numan's Are Friends Electric? with Adina Howard's Freak Like Me.

Many "mash-ups" are illegal, however, and have resulted in record companies threatening bedroom DJs with legal action.

In February, record label EMI blocked distribution of The Grey Album by DJ Danger Mouse, on which he blended songs from The Beatles' White Album with tracks from rapper Jay-Z's Black Album.