Digital Music Collections in the Metaverse: An Information Systems Perspective on Design, Langugge, and Interpretation

This article examines how design fiction can be materialized to support the early evaluation of emerging metaverse services. Focusing on a conceptual service for music memorabilia, the study shows how culturally meaningful objects can be represented in an immersive environment in ways that preserve context, support interaction, and make value propositions discussable before full implementation. The research follows a design science and research-through-design orientation and uses a high-fidelity video artefact to elicit stakeholder feedback. Qualitative analysis of the responses indicates that users value narrative context, authenticity, social presence, and ease of use, while also raising concerns about provenance and clarity of the service proposition. The study suggests that materialized speculative artefacts can help reduce uncertainty in early-stage service innovation by making assumptions visible and testable. It also demonstrates that music memorabilia is a productive domain for exploring how cultural value, immersion, and trust intersect in metaverse service design. The paper contributes a practical and theoretically grounded approach for investigating future-facing digital services before committing to large-scale development.