Magnesium niobate microwave dielectric ceramics have attracted much attention because of their excellent dielectric properties. Magnesium niobate powder is a crucial raw material for preparing high-performance magnesium niobate ceramics, the quality of which plays a vital role in the performance of final product. In this paper, the current preparation methods of magnesium niobate powder at home and abroad are systematically summarized, the advantages and limitations of solid state reaction method, wet chemical method, co-precipitation method and sol-gel method are analyzed, and the future development direction of magnesium niobate powder preparation technology is prospeced, which provides useful reference and enlightenment for the research and development of high-performance magnesium niobate powder materials.