A telecommunications system is disclosed that enables a telecommunications switch to be “user” programmable in the “field”—in contrast to only programmable by the manufacturer or third-party software company—with audio samples. Each audio sample is exemplar of a sound that might be encountered during or after the establishment of a telecommunications call that is handled by the telecommunications switch. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the audio samples are received by the telecommunications switch through one or more of the same ports that the telecommunications switch uses to route calls, in contrast to programs and program data that are received by the telecommunications switch through a programming port.