Sure, microphones and book narrators have been around a long time. But with a $60 microphone, a computer, a bit of egg crate foam, an Internet connection, and a glass of water and we can record--and distribute--our audiobooks ourselves.
Audio has been around since, I suppose, the spoken language. The difference now is distribution and availability. Audiobooks, podcasts, smart phones, voice controlled home...
I love listening to audiobooks - I always lose my glasses, but if I have an audiobook, I don't need them.? -- Michaela Coel?
Gone are the days when a publisher could take out an ad, count on a few reviews, and have an author do a couple...