Commodification is the process of transforming things such as goods, services, ideas, nature, personal information, people, or animals into objects of trade or commodities within a capitalist economic system. The term is used interchangeably with "commoditization," which is used to describe the transformation of goods and services with initial distinctive attributes into commodities. Here are some key points about commodification:

• Commodification can be used in social contexts to mean that a non-commercial good has become commercial, typically with connotations of "corrupted by commerce".
• Commodification of animals is one of the earliest forms of commodification, which can be traced back to the time when domestication of animals began. It includes animal slavery in all forms, including use of animals for food, medicine, fashion and cosmetics, medical research, labor and transport, entertainment, wildlife trade, companionship, and so forth.
• Digital commodification is when a business or corporation uses information from an online community without their knowledge for profit.
• The commodification of heritage captures the process in which economic value comes to prevail over cultural value in the way cultural expressions, experiences, and objects are communicated, described, perceived, and marketed. This phenomenon is associated with cultural tourism, which markets cultural experiences and in this process promotes culture as a bundle of cultural goods and services that can be marketed, sold, and bought.
• Commodification can lead to negative outcomes in ways that are not always obvious. For example, the commodification of adolescents can lead to negative outcomes, such as their labor being commodified, or being sold into slavery or prostitution.
• A consistent definition of commodification would help identify, exchange information about, and encourage or discourage commodifying exchanges. Commodification is defined as social exchanges that convert relational goods into commodities. Commodities are goods valued for their ability to satisfy physical needs, while relational goods are goods valued at least in part for their connections to people which enables them to satisfy socio-emotional needs.

In summary, commodification is the process of transforming non-commercial goods into commercial ones, and it can have both positive and negative effects on society.