A music events company in Shoreditch is responding to the coronavirus pandemic by raising money for its artists through online sessions.

Sofar Sounds, which normally hosts intimate shows across 345 cities every month, has also launched the Global Artist Fund to help more than 2,000 artists who rely on gigs to get by.

Sofar’s head of communications Jill Mango explained: “The disruption to the Sofar community and stress it has caused, both for musicians and the more than 400 Sofar city teams around the world, is painful.

“People are losing more than shows, and friends in some cities around the world are dealing with the unimaginable.

“However, it’s also humbling and inspiring to see everyone come together, offering support to each other and sharing creative ideas.

“That’s what is keeping us going and motivating us to do whatever we can to help.”

The company has also advanced a full show payment to all of their artists who had a Sofar event cancelled.

The fund’s initial goal is to raise $250,000 to help 1,000 artists, which will be focused on providing direct financial support to the artists who rely on Sofar and other local gigs to make a living.

In order to keep the music alive and bring artists and audiences together, they have also set up an online listening room, which brings the Sofar vibe and community straight to punters’ screens.

Each night, the platform offers live streaming performances, video premieres and conversations with artists from around the world.

All shows are free, and optional donations can be given directly to the featured performing artists or to the global artist fund.

A timetable of upcoming shows and ways of donating can be found here.