Abstract: Focusing on aroma-producing microorganisms in the tobacco industry, this review systematically summarizes the research progress in strategies for discovering these microbial resources, their primary species, and applications in cigarette processing. To date, abundant microbial resources with aroma-producing capabilities, represented by genera such as Bacillus, Saccharomyces, and Aspergillus, have been isolated from diverse habitats including tobacco plants and food fermentation environments, encompassing both bacterial and fungal groups. The application of tobacco microbial technology has evolved into multiple models, including in-situ fermentation enhancement of tobacco leaves, extraction and utilization of fermented tobacco products, construction of aroma-producing engineered strains and flavor preparation, and the development of biological enzyme preparations, with successful implementations in several industrial enterprises. However, large-scale industrial application still faces challenges such as high technical barriers, substantial initial investment and unclear mechanisms of action. Cutting-edge approaches, including CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, metagenomics, AI-assisted enzyme design, and synthetic microbial community construction, have been introduced into the field of tobacco microbiology. These advances are driving a paradigm shift from "understanding microorganisms" to "designing microorganisms", thereby significantly enhancing the potential and efficiency of aroma and quality improvement while enabling more precise regulation. Looking forward, aroma-producing microbial technology will systematically advance breakthroughs at the technological frontier, drive innovation in industrial models, and strengthen industry fundamentals, thereby further enhancing the quality and processing efficiency of tobacco products, and facilitating the transformation and upgrading of the tobacco industry toward green, low-carbon, high-value-added, intelligent, and efficient development.