Digital Singularization: The Socio-Technical Production of Uniqueness

Singularization has long been an essential element of value creation in markets for various types of goods that become prized for their uniqueness, but has only recently gained prominence in digital markets. However, very little is known about how digital goods are singularized (i.e., valorized as unique). We enrich extant research on singularization by shifting attention from physical to digital goods, and by exploring singularization as a socio-technical process shaped by varied social actors and technological forces. Inspired by Reckwitz’s (2020) sociology of singularities, our multimethod qualitative study of a market for singularized digital goods uncovers four vectors of digital singularization, variable ways in which technology mediates digital singularization, and multiple tensions that mark this process. In addition to advancing nascent work on digital singularization, our study contributes to broader singularization research by theorizing singularization as a social, technology-mediated process that is inherently precarious. Moreover, we provide new insights into digital possession and value creation in digital markets, as well as into contemporary “singularity markets” more broadly.