Yes, the arts have been commodified in that they charge tuition to get a degree in philosophy, theology, history, or the fine arts. But that's not honest commodification. It's a fraud perpetrated by the colleges that have lost touch with the true purpose of the humanities and have to overcharge for tuition because they've filled their ranks with administrators, leaving most of their teachers as adjuncts who barely get by.

In some civilized countries, higher education is subsidized and virtually free for the students. That's as it should be, given that the true role of learning the humanities, of becoming a dignified citizen has nothing to do with buying or selling anything. It's about becoming a better person. The selling of the humanities is extraneous to the artistic mission. That was Plato's point against the Sophists.