Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 devices weren’t just designed to sell content to users, and neither was the Lumia 520.
Nokia’s most affordable Windows Phone yet, the Lumia 520 runs Windows Phone 8, so users don’t have to just buy music, ringtones or alerts from Microsoft. Instead, the Lumia 520 is almost completely customizable and customizable with what users have without having to pay again.
Take custom alarms for example. Via the Alarms app, Windows Phone 8 users can have the Lumia 520 wake them up at the same time every day. Users can also configure the Alarms app to wake it only once at a given time. Finally, users can upload their own MP3s and songs to their Lumia 520 and have them act as ringtones, adding some personality to the otherwise just mixed beeps and bells.
Here’s how to use a music as an Alarm on a Lumia 520 running Windows Phone. To be clear, every Lumia 520 sold includes Windows Phone 8, the latest version of Windows Phone available today. In the future, the Lumia 520 will be upgraded with Windows Phone 8.1, an update that adds loads of new features to the Windows Phone experience like Start Screen customization and more. Today, this update is not available on the Lumia 520, but it will be soon.
We’re already using this update on this how-to. To put it bluntly, selecting music as an alarm will work exactly the same on the Lumia 520, regardless of what version of Windows Phone 8 you have on your device. However, Windows Phone 8 users will find that what’s included in it looks a little different than on their device.
First you need to download the music you want to use to your device. Plug your Lumia 520 into your computer using a microUSB cable.
Tap or click the notification asking what to do when you plug in your Lumia 520 by default.
Then select . 
Tap or click the phone inside the file window.
Now tap or click on it.
Find the song you want to use as your alarm and put it in the Ringtones folder. Then wait for the transfer to finish. You’ll want to make sure any song you try to use as an alarm is an MP3 or WAV file. Anything outside of these two file formats (like songs downloaded from iTunes) may not work.
If you haven’t assigned a PIN code, simply put your finger on the bottom of the screen and swipe up.
After unlocking your device, you should see the Start Screen. This is where the tiles for most of the apps you want them to update should also be pinned. By default, no operator pins the Alarms app. Instead, it’s in the list of hidden apps on the right side of your screen. Place your finger on the screen and the screen without lifting it.
Tap on it now. If you don’t have many installed apps that start with the letter “A”, it will be at the top of your Lumia 520’s app list. If you do, you may have to scroll down a bit to see it.
Now tap the icon in the App Bar at the bottom of your screen to create a new alarm.
Start by setting the date and time you want your alarm to sound. Typically, most users assign names to different alarms to make them easier to follow. Tap on it to set the time. Then tap to set how often you want the alarm to sound.
Tap now. Opens a list of sounds you can use for your ringtone. To use a custom song, scroll all the way to the top and tap on it to select it as your Alarm.
Now tap the icon at the bottom of your screen.
Here you got it. From this moment on, you will wake up to the song you have set as your custom alarm. To hear your alarm, it’s important to make sure your phone is not on silent, Windows Phone doesn’t distinguish between sounds. It mutes all sounds when the volume is lowered. It’s also a good idea to choose a song that’s loud enough for you to hear. Rock and very loud genres are great for spooking, but songs that start slow are much better if you want to wake up to something calming.
