The book contains A. R. Rahman's extensive conversations with the author Nasreen Munni Kabir. It begins with his birth in Madras (present-day Chennai) in 1967. The book chronicles his cinematic debut, composing songs for Roja (1992), which became the first of his many collaborations with the filmmaker Mani Ratnam, and his 29-year-long career in music. It also includes his conversion from Hinduism to Islam, his marriage to Saira Banu in 1995 and the birth of their three children. The book ends with his discography, his list of accolades, and notes for the 1995 film Bombay's theme song and Roja's "Cry of the Rose".

Nasreen Munni Kabir, who had written several books on Indian cinema throughout her career, often used the question-and-answer style for her works and A. R. Rahman: The Spirit of Music is one of which. In an later interviews, she stated that she found the style to be the best way to keep the book's readers "connected to the subject",^[1] that she liked primary research and "people speaking in their own words, from their own experience" but it did not mean that narrative biographies weren't needed, rather that it was a good format due to Rahman's busy schedule.^[2] Kabir had first met Rahman while interviewing him at his studio in Chennai for BBC's Channel 4 in 1999.^[1] However, their earliest discussion on the idea of the book began in 2003, which was later met with approval from Rahman.^[2]

The conversations started in 2007,^[3]:6 but Rahman states that the "actual work" began the next year. According to him, a lot of the facts in the book were already disclosed by him in other media interviews but includes some new aspects and he states that what "[Kabir] wanted to do was to have a completeness in the whole thing, and that’s what is special about [her] and what makes [the book] work."^[4] Kabir recounted that the process was slow, attributing it to his busy schedule.^[2] When Rahman was not on his mood for talking, they would take a walk while Kabir asked him her questions. Describing him as spiritual, Kabir likened working with him to being on an adventure and noted how free-spirited he was.^[2] She also felt Rahman was more confident when she interviewed him for the book, believing that his older age and the success of his works have influenced him.^[1] The conversations ended in 2011.^[3]:6

The Spirit of Music was published on hardcover on 29 March 2011;^[3] a CD containing Rahman's eight unreleased songs is also included in the edition.^[5] The book's launch event was held in Juhu, Mumbai on 6 April.^[6] The book was the second work on Rahman, after Kamini Mathai's A. R. Rahman: The Musical Storm (2009), but was the first one authorised by Rahman himself; he explained that he had not read Mathai's book so he had not authorised it either.^[7] Ajay Mago from Om Books International, who released The Spirit of Music, told Bollywood Hungama that it was an honour for him to publish the book.^[8] Emerging as a commercial success, The Spirit of Music debuted at and peaked the fifth position in The Hindu's non-fiction bestsellers on 19 April.^[9] Its Amazon Kindle version was released on 7 July 2017,^[10] followed by the paperback edition twelve days later.^[11]

Critics had given varied views on the book. Charmy Harikrishnan of The Indian Express was critical of Kabir's research on Rahman's Tamil films, dismissing it as "meagre and unsatisfactory", and added that "the way in which the Q and A has been arranged does little to give the book a structure or the narrative any kind of coherence".^[12] A reviewer at Bollywood Hungama suggested Kabir to divide the book in several chapters and stated "there is a distinct sense of incompleteness that one gets mid-way into reading it",^[13] while the magazine India Today's Kaveree Bamzai called it "a remarkable insight into a magical mind". Bamzai added that "Rahman is an anomaly. Sometimes the more he's written about, the less he seems revealed. Kabir's patient listening pays off. Rahman seems at ease here, talking as openly about his faith as he does about his wife."^[14]

Writing for the Emirati newspaper Gulf News, Mythily Ramachandran found the book "easy-to-read" and concise. She said it "does whet your appetite interspersed with pictures from Rahman's albums, hitherto unseen", concluding her review by praising Kabir for doing a job well done.^[15] The editor Jitesh Pillai of the Filmfare magazine asserted, "Trying to capture his thoughts and songscapes cannot be an easy task and Nasreen Munni Kabir ... does manage an enthusiastic job. It's in interview format and we get to know the maestro up close and personal and there are anecdotes there, priceless ones that intrigue, overwhelm and stay with you."^[16] Kala Krishnan Ramesh from Indiaplaza recommended it for those who are fans of Rahman, complimenting Kabir's thorough and perceptive questioning style.^[17] The Hindustan Times described it as "a close, fascinating insight" on him.^[18]

• A. R. Rahman: The Spirit of Music at Google Books