Systems and methods are described for downloading audio signals into a digital telephone to update and replace a conventional ringer tone. The source of the audio signal can be from any analog audio sound source, such as a radio, PC sound card, MP3 player, CD or DVD player, etc. The audio signal can be fed through an audio cable into a handset headset jack that is already available in most digital telephones, or into a specialized audio jack incorporated into the base (of a cordless telephone). The audio signal may be comprised of a song or speech. The audio signal can be stored in a specialized memory for storing audio signals without requiring encoding the signal prior to storage, or it can be stored in any conventional memory arrangement. For a cordless telephone, the audio signal may be stored in the handset or in the base unit.