A user-programmable audio alert system, device, and method includes an audio alert created by a user and programmed into a device, such as a wireless telephone. A user programs and stores in the device a data structure relating an audio alert triggering event to the audio alert. When the device detects an occurrence of the particular audio alert triggering event, the device emits the audio alert related to the triggering event. As such, users are able to customize audio alerts that are easily recognizable and that are associated with a particular event, or signal. Audio alerts can be programmed using different devices and in various formats and can be transmitted to other devices. An audio alert triggering event can modulate an audio alert according to an external variable.