From Page to Screen: Modernizing Hymnals for a Smooth iPad Experience

About the app

GIA Publications, Inc. is a renowned, family-owned publisher of sacred music resources, active since 1941.

With a catalog of over 10,000 editions—including choral works, hymnals, recordings, and educational materials—GIA has become a trusted name in liturgical and choral music. Over the years, it has expanded by welcoming Walton Music (2013), World Library Publications (2020), and Meredith Music into its publishing family.

To bring this rich musical heritage into the digital age, we partnered with the goal of creating Hymnals.

The app is an extension of our client’s mission to make music resources accessible, allowing users to enjoy hymnals digitally. The app enables users to purchase and manage their hymnals with ease.

Challenges

Several years after its initial release, the Hymnals app required a critical update. Users needed compatibility with modern iOS devices and new features to enhance their experience.

But the update posed several challenges, such as:

  • Preservation of User Experience: Making sure the app retains its familiar look and feel while adopting modern design standards.

  • Data Integrity: Transitioning users from the old app to the new version without losing any data, including previously purchased hymnals, annotations, or service lists.

  • User-Requested Features: Incorporating new features to address user feedback while maintaining a seamless experience for existing functionalities.

Meeting these goals required balancing innovation with consistency, enhancing the app without cutting off its loyal user base.

Solutions

To address the challenges and deliver a seamless, modernized experience, X2 Mobile led a full redesign and redevelopment of the Hymnals app, while preserving the integrity of its original structure. Our end-to-end services included:

  • UX & UI Design: Refreshing the interface using Sketch while keeping it familiar for long-time users;

  • Native iOS Development: Rebuilding the app in Swift to align with the latest Apple guidelines and support new devices;

  • Quality Assurance (QA): Ensuring a stable and smooth migration of user data and previously purchased hymnals;

  • Project Management: Coordinating development and release in close collaboration with GIA.

As a result, the updated app not only maintained its original functionality and user experience but also introduced a cleaner look and valuable new features, including:

  • In-app purchase and download of GIA hymnals;

  • Cloud backup for hymnals, imported music, service lists, and annotations;

  • Annotation, duplication, and editing of hymnal pages;

  • Hands-free page turning with AirTurn and PageFlip Bluetooth pedals;

  • Import music from iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other file storage providers.

These enhancements ensure that the Hymnals app continues to serve as a powerful, user-friendly tool for musicians, choir directors, and worship leaders—bridging GIA's sacred music legacy with modern mobile technology.