In the DJ culture, a resident DJ or local DJ refers to a DJ is part of the staff of employees of the club, unlike a guest artist, who works as freelancer, which means that they play at several clubs (including several countries). Obtaining a residence implies being part of the salaried staff of a company. Unlike a guest, the resident almost inevitably has to conform to certain musical styles dictated by the hiring company.[1] Instead, the resident's sponsorship rests with the club itself, which will probably means greater investment in marketing than if it worked independently.
Generally, a resident tends to obtain less fame, considerations (and salary) than a guest, although there are notable exceptions to this; examples of successful residents are Sandrien from Trouw (Amsterdam), or Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann from Berghain (Berlin).[2] The residency is considered the best way of pragmatic learning for a novice DJ:[3] everything they learned at home is now put into practice with an audience in front of them, forcing them to engage in a "conversation" with the audience.[4]