New and improved features for the Church’s Sacred Music app

A complete rebuild of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ popular Sacred Music app released in July includes new features, improved functions and a more modern look and feel. It’s the first of several improved music experiences to come, say Church leaders and product managers.

For years, Latter-day Saints have widely used the Sacred Music app in home and Sunday worship. The app is one of several Church music resources meant to teach doctrine, increase spirituality and deepen faith and conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel through sacred music.

“We are happy to provide these music resources that will strengthen worship at home and at church,” said Elder Valeri V. Cordón, a General Authority Seventy who serves as adviser to the hymnbook revision efforts.

“The Lord expressed His feelings about sacred music to Emma Smith in 1830,” said Elder Cordón. “He said that it pleased Him for the Saints ‘to make a selection of sacred hymns … to be had in my church,’ and that His soul delights ‘in the song of the heart’ (see Doctrine and Covenants 25:11–12). When we sing or play sacred music, we invite the Lord’s blessings into our lives, and we grow closer to Him.”

Sacred Music app’s new features

According to Ed Krenicky, a music product manager for the Church, the app’s improved user interface meets the needs of music listeners and music performers. “Music listeners will enjoy the ease of adding music they love to playlists,” he said. “Music performers will love the ease of finding sheet music for choir or for special musical numbers.”

Some of the new or improved features in the iOS 2.1 and Android 2.0 versions of the Sacred Music app include:

• Improved searching and filtering (in Android).
• New functions for creating and managing playlists.
• User-friendly navigation.
• Share and print capabilities for sheet music (in iOS).

Improved searching and filtering

It’s now easier to find music users are looking for in the Android version. A topical index helps users search for music on a specific topic. The revamped search function includes a full-text search engine and various options for filtering.

Playlist functions

New playlist functions help compile, manage and share playlists from various albums. Users can also download and easily manage music for offline listening.

Easily switch among various audio options and between views of sheet music and lyrics. Use additional options in settings to select a language, adjust for dark mode and choose the font style of lyrics.

Share and print capabilities for sheet music

In the iOS version, resize sheet music or select a PDF version that can easily be shared through digital tools or printed. This makes it easy for ward and stake choir directors to distribute music for free from the Church Music Library.

What’s still to come for Church music

“More resources will be delivered in the coming months and years, and we hope they all will help you grow closer to the Lord,” Elder Cordón said.

Those resources include improvements to the Church music web page as well as ongoing work by volunteers and Church employees, under the direction of Church leaders, to revise the hymnbook and “Children’s Songbook” to meet the needs of a global Church.

“Because this will be our first collection of sacred music in the digital age, these updates on our digital music channels will prepare the Church to interact with sacred music content in ways we never have before,” said Krenicky. “We are excited to share more of our sacred music efforts in the years to come.”