Giovanni Cima came from a family of musicians and was a leading musical figure in Milan. He was director of music and organist at tha Saint Marie chapel of Saint Celso in Milan in 1610.

Cima's church music was generally conservative, but his instrumental works were more innovative. He was the first composer to publish trio sonatas and made use in them of the combination of two treble instruments and the basso continuo.

Giovanni Paolo Cima died in Milan at about the age of 52. He is not be confused with the artist Giovanni Battista Cima, called Cima da Conegliano.