Quantum materials exhibit some of the most remarkable phenomena found in condensed matter, since the inherent microscopic quantum properties determine the behavior at macroscopic scales. Discerning and ultimately controlling these microscopic degrees of freedom paves the way to functionalize materials with tailored properties. In this talk I will discuss how the light-matter interactions in solids fundamentally relate the microscopic properties to measurable signals, thus paving the way for “quantum spectroscopies”. I will further discuss how the light-matter interactions can be exploited for ultrafast engineering of electronic properties and how such ultrafast light-induced states can be stabilized in real materials.