# Substitute Organist Service

> Connects to church organs via MIDI for musical accompaniment. (iPhone/iPad app by Church Music Solutions, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitute-organist-service/id875151186 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Church Music Solutions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/456777488)
- Category: Music, Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 6 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 7 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2014-05-28
- Data updated: 2026-10-04
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitute-organist-service/id875151186/reviews.md

## What is Substitute Organist Service?

Does your church have an empty organ bench? With the Substitute Organist Service from Church Music Solutions, your church's pipe or digital organ can once again lead your congregation's song. 

This app requires a MIDI adapter to work with your church's MIDI capable pipe or digital organ. 

Note: You must have a valid Church Music Solutions subscription to update this app with the latest data for your church's instrument. New subscriptions are activated within one hour of purchase.

## Key features

- Connects to MIDI organs
- Leads congregational singing
- Requires MIDI adapter
- Requires subscription for updates
- Supports digital and pipe organs

## Is Substitute Organist Service safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Substitute Organist Service.

## Is Substitute Organist Service legit?

Substitute Organist Service appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Substitute Organist Service is 83 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (4 of 4)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitute-organist-service/id875151186/reviews.md

### 4/5 — App needs dark mode and manual MIDI controls

*2026-08-14*

We love the Substitute Organist Service, and the music it provides, but the SOS app has always been very frustrating due to its lack of flexibility. We wanted to be able to run it on iPhones, and we wanted a dark mode for the app to reduce the glare from the excessive white spaces in the app. We also needed separate expression controls for swell and great to match our organ console more accurately. As the app plays music, there is also no way to see which pipe stops and couplers are being used, so we have difficulty associating music that sounded out of tune with pipes that need tuning.

### 4/5 — Quality pipe organ performances

*2024-11-12*

We would like a dark mode for the app. We would also like separate expression controls for Great and Swell, the same as our pipe organ console. There are times when faster tempo would be helpful for prelude, offertory, and postlude tunes.  It would also be very helpful to be able to set all tempos to zero in a single step. A version for iPhone would also be great to have.

### 1/5 — Fails to work with USB-MIDI like other apps

*2021-11-29, version 4.0*

There is no way to tell which MIDI device this strange app thinks it wants, but on iPadOS we get no MIDI from this app except through the one Yamaha Bluetooth MIDI interface that it can select. All the other MIDI apps on the same iPads work just fine with the several different kinds of USB-MIDI interfaces that we use. It’s always frustrating when developers ignore compatibility feedback over the course of several weeks and refuse to implement the most basic diagnostic reporting from the specialized apps like this one when they get their peripheral support code wrong. There is also no good reason for this app to not provide a way to manually select a MIDI-out device from the list that iPadOS maintains to make certain that it always picks the correct device.

### 5/5 — Wish List

*2015-10-31*

The app works great, but it needs music controls beyond play and stop. For example, our first hymn this Sunday is "For All the Saints." Since we stop halfway through to remember the departed, I have to put the hymn on the service twice with different verses. A pause button would eliminate that problem. The stop button cannot be used there because it advances the program to the next song. Speed controls would also help because not all congregations are used to singing certain songs at the speed they are supposed to be played at. Regardless, the program, music quality, and customer service are great. Roland, Sarah, and Lynea are some of the best people I've had a chance to work with. If your church needs a backup plan or a full time organist, this is the way to go. Keep up the great work.

## Frequently asked questions about Substitute Organist Service

### What is the Substitute Organist Service?

The Substitute Organist Service is an application designed to enable MIDI-capable pipe or digital organs to play music and lead congregational singing in churches.

### What hardware is needed to use the Substitute Organist Service?

This app requires a MIDI adapter to connect with your church's MIDI-capable pipe or digital organ. Ensure you have this adapter before attempting to use the service.

### How do I get the latest instrument data for my church's organ?

You must have a valid Church Music Solutions subscription to update the app with the latest data for your church's specific instrument. New subscriptions are typically activated within one hour of purchase.

### What devices does the Substitute Organist Service support?

The Substitute Organist Service is currently supported on iPads. Please check the app store for any future updates regarding device compatibility.

### Is the Substitute Organist Service free to download?

Yes, the Substitute Organist Service is free to download. However, a Church Music Solutions subscription is required to access and update instrument data.

### What is the age rating for the Substitute Organist Service?

The Substitute Organist Service has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for users of all ages.

### How often is the Substitute Organist Service updated?

The latest version of the Substitute Organist Service is 4.12, last updated on March 24, 2026. This suggests a commitment to regular updates and maintenance.

### Does the Substitute Organist Service have ads?

No, the Substitute Organist Service does not contain advertisements. Users can expect an uninterrupted experience while using the application.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.20 — 2026-09-14

Updated organ G260.  Added organs D190, and E255

### 4.19 — 2026-09-05

Added organs G265 and H170.

### 4.18 — 2026-08-19

Organs E250, G255 and G260

### 4.17 — 2026-06-16

Added E245

### 4.16 — 2026-06-10

Added organs B160, G250, and F190.  Updated E145 stops.  Updated F185.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-04.*