<p>Traditional tea-making uses natural light withering as the first step in the process. Nevertheless, tea-growing regions are mainly located in mountainous areas with inclement weather. Raining days hinder the withering process and lead to lower-quality teas. Artificial light withering can solve this problem and improve the quality of black teas. Artificial light regulates the activity and gene expression of key enzymes in secondary metabolic pathways through photoreceptor-mediated signaling to accomplish metabolite synthesis and degradation. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electronic nose (E-nose) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) were used to compare the effects of the four artificial light witherings on the taste and aroma of black tea. The results show that blue light withering reduced catechins, flavonoids and caffeine and increased soluble sugars. Sixty-six volatile components were identified from black tea. Phenylglyoxal is the highest after blue light withering (4.2%). (E)-2-hexenal is the highest (8.39%) after red light withering. Red light withered black tea is characterized by producing a high fruity aroma and preventing the reduction of citrus flavor in black tea. The results of this study show blue light withering improves the taste and reduces the bitterness of black tea. Red light withering produced premium black tea with more fruity and sweet flavors. Artificial light provides a valuable new tool for the tea industry to make high-quality black teas.</p>