There's still a development. Bands that I know used to have poor 8-track analog machines like 10 years ago. Now they use a standard-issue laptop and some additional hardware that cost maybe a couple of hundred bucks to make decent-quality recordings that they burn on cds and sell or give away. Skill is still one factor, but the other limiting factor - capital has been shrinking more and more. So there's more good music out there in good quality and that diminishes the price. Now wether that's good or bad - I don't know.
