Musical supergroups like Coldplay make hundreds of millions of dollars touring, but right now they're performing the equivalent of public service concerts.

Chris Martin of Coldplay, John Legend and Keith Urban are playing virtual concerts on social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It could be a test case for more concert experiences migrating online in the future.

"I think right now anything that can take our minds off of our current reality is a blessing," said Gena Greher, a professor and interim chairperson of University of Massachusetts Lowell's music department. "If there is a way for artists to monetize [online performances], I'm sure we will see that happening," Greher said. "Any opportunity to reach a larger audience is something I'm sure any artist might consider."

Right now it is all about giving back and spreading the word about best practices during the health crisis.

Martin and Legend specifically have teamed up with Global Citizen, a multinational nonprofit, and The World Health Organization, in what is being called "Together at Home," a virtual concert series that encourages people to practice social distancing and to visit the WHO website with any coronavirus questions or concerns.

Martin performed bits of classic Coldplay songs, including "Yellow," "Viva la Vida" and "A Sky Full of Stars," on Monday. On Tuesday, Legend played "Stay With You," "All of Me" and other hits from his catalog before passing what's become a pop star virtual concert challenge to others, as he nominated musicians Miguel and Charlie Puth to perform next.

"A lot of artists have decided they want to make staying home a little bit easier for everybody," Legend stressed during his livestream.

Pop stars who are not part of "Together at Home" are doing their part, too, including Yungblud, who streamed a performance on YouTube; and country artist Keith Urban, who performed for 20 minutes Wednesday. And U2's Bono, who debuted a new song while streaming live from Facebook yesterday.