The reversible transfer of unknown quantum states between light and matter is essential for constructing large-scale quantum networks.Over the last decade,various physical systems have been proposed to realize such quantum memory for light.The solid-state quantum memory based on rare-earth-ion-doped solids has the advantages of a reduced setup complexity and high robustness for scalable application.We describe the methods used to spectrally prepare the quantum memory and release the photonic excitation on-demand.We will review the state of the art experiments and discuss the perspective applications of this particular system in both quantum information science and fundamental tests of quantum physics.