About the Dubbook
“The Dubbook” is a social dub media promotional and connectivity platform by Ralf Salztal aka Dub Flash. It went online in January 2025.
The idea is based on the original idea of the “Dub Information Portal” from 1998, which back then was impossible to achieve due to the technical limitations of the internet in its early years.
After internet 2.0 kicked off and the rise of social media, I gave up my original idea, because what started with Myspace, continued with Facebook and latest with Instagram made it obsolet. People had new places to be informed about Dub music.
But with every year, the situation got more and more difficult on social media. Your own content got restricted unless you pay for reach. The platforms decided what would be shown to you with their own, secret algorithms and every second post was either something suggested that you didn't want to see or an ad.
I never wanted to be part of these social media platforms. This is Babylon in pure form for me, and it's what people in this scene warned me about for three decades. I didn't understand why the Dubheads of the world became so easily assimiliated into the world of social media. And most importantly: I knew that I wanted to leave!
So, finally, way too late, I left the world of internet 2.0, went back to the roots, i.e. my original idea of a “Dub Information Portal” from 1998. And here we are now: Best of internet 1.0 + best of internet 2.0 = internet 3.0 aka “The Dubbook”.
What this platform offers you (I'm constantly working on new features and improvements):
Post and read “News” to promote Dub activities. This is similar to Twitter and Bluesky.
Promote and find out about “Releases”. This is similar to Facebook, but better! You can embed your Bandcamp release with a simple copy&paste of the URL! Soundcloud and Youtube as well.
Post and view photos on the “Dubbygram”. This tool is not as fancy as, but functions similarly to Instagram. You can also use it as an online photo gallery like Flickr.
Publish or learn about “Events” to promote sound system dances, parties, concerts and so on. I don't know a platform which has a simple-to-follow calendar for Dub events. Is there one? Well, now there is.
Browse the “Dubbypedia”. While there are some dub-related entries in the real Wikipedia, most of us Dubheads are too irrelevant to get added there. Now the Dub scene has its own Wiki, like so many other communities as well.
Participate in “Discussions”. This is a reminiscence of the good old days of internet 1.0: a classic online forum. Respect the netiquette!
Find and create collaborateurs for “Collaborations”. Whether you need a masterer, soundboy, singer, or you offer remixes or live played instruments, this is the place to find collaborateurs for your projects. Inspired by Fiverr, but mainly intended for voluntary and hobby projects.
Communicate with other “Dubheads” through following, subscribing, befriending, liking, commenting and direct messaging. This feature is similar to what all the commercial social media platforms offer.
A “Timeline” offers you an overview of all the things happening on The Dubbook. It's sorted chronologically and nothing gets suppressed. You can see everything or only what you filter for yourself.
On my “to do”-list are the following features:
A chat-feature for smoother and private communication.
Mobile phone app versions (Android is ready ; iOS only if I get funding).
Bandcamp integration. Done.
Discogs integration.
Podcast / Mixcloud integration.
Dubtube. I would love it if we could have our own YouTube platform, but only for dub-related videos. I'm currently trying to figure out if I can start my own PeerTube server. It's probably out of my price range, but one can dream for sure.
Dubplate shop. I'm trying to implement a direct digital sale integration. Bandcamp is alright, but you get easily overheard there due to the masses of music available. Let's do things instead ourselves here. Small and focussed. This, just like Dubtube, is a dream, and at least for now, I neither have the money nor infrastructure for it. But we'll see. How cool would it be if you could offer your releases and Dubplates here to likeminded people.
Is there anything else you would like to have? Let me know by sending a message to Dubbook Admin. Also, if you can help with PHP/Elgg programming.
Additional information, if you aren't convinced yet:
The Dubbook is hosted on Dubbook's own webspace. There are no ads. There is no tracking. There are no algorithms. It’s all about Dub.
I want a place where I get the latest news from other Dubheads all around the world without being forced to see content I don't want to see, i.e. ads or suggested content.
The Dubbook is free. I don’t want your money. I don't want your soul. Whether you join me in addition to other platforms or exclusively is up to you. And if you don't join me, then The Dubbook works nonetheless, because you can read the content without registering and if no one else, then at least I will add content here.
If you like what you see, you can may make a donation via WhyDonate. But you don’t have to. Alternatively, you may send me your latest release in digital format as support. Bandcamp-codes are also appreciated.
The Dubbook is the only place where Dub Flash publishes its news from 1st February 2025 onward, aside from the official website (www.dubflash.com) and (for now) Bandcamp. All my social media accounts were closed on 31st January 2025 except for a Dubbook promotional page on IG and FB until enough people know about my platform. Youtube remains (until I have my own PeerTube server).
Let’s make the world a better place, at least the Dub-side of it.
Dub on,
Ralf Salztal aka Dub Flash