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.
Maybe I just lived in the city too long but I can't get enough of the birds. "You'd think I live in the bird...
Audio has been around since, I suppose, the spoken language. The difference now is distribution and availability. Audiobooks, podcasts, smart phones, voice controlled home...
Maybe it's a personal preference but I'm into the atmosphere. [ https://youtu.be/IInkT6n-NiM ]