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The sensory characteristics of dry-cured squid are closely related to its microbial community structure. To explore the relationship between microorganims and flavour formation, the microbial community and sensory characteristics of dry-cured squid at various processing stages were studied with next-generation sequencing and molecular sensory analysis. The most abundant genera in dry-cured squid were Staphylococcus and Acinetobacter, with relative abundance of 17.95% and 8.81%, respectively. Among the 44 volatile compounds identified, 11 had a relative odour activity value ≥ 1, including α-dicarbonyls, aldehydes, alcohols, sulphur compounds and trimethylamine. The concentrations of volatile and non-volatile compounds in squid samples increased greatly during the process. A significant correlation (P < 0.05) was observed between the main genera and sensory indicator compounds. Staphylococcus, as the dominant genus, was responsible for flavour formation in dry-cured squid. This study provides new evidence that microbial metabolism has an important effect on flavour development in dry-cured squid.